Game-Changer

In a blockbuster trade, the Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez
today from the Padres in exchange for several top prospects. 

Everyone remember the date: December 4, 2010. It will officially go down in Boston sports history as the day the Red Sox Empire struck back.

While Sox fans were too busy lamenting the loss of Victor Martinez and pulling for the team to land a big-name free agent like Carl Crawford of Jayson Werth, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein was quietly hard at work piecing together a blockbuster trade of epic proportions. According to several sources, the Red Sox acquired San Diego Padres first-baseman Adrian Gonzalez today in exchange for high-ceiling prospects Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Reymond Fuentes. The deal is contingent on Gonzalez passing his physical.

The trade is a true game-changer. After coveting Gonzalez for nearly three years, the Sox decided to pull the trigger instead of doing what many around the league thought they would: wait until the 2011 season to end and then proceed to sign A-Gon to a massive deal when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. However, while this theory would have allowed the Sox to hang onto the top prospects they gave up today, we all know free agency is a crapshoot. And you know the Yankees, among several other clubs, would have lined up at Gonzalez's door to begin their bidding.

The moral of the story is that the Red Sox are now exponentially better today than they were yesterday. Gonzalez is a 28-year-old, power hitting first baseman who will more than fill the recent void created by Victor Martinez's departure. He's a three time NL All-Star and has hit at least 30 home runs in four straight seasons. Last season, he hit .298 with 31 homers and 101 runs batted in. However, keep in mind that these numbers could be much greater had he not played the last five seasons in one of the most spacious and pitcher-friendly stadiums in baseball, Petco Park. Toss Gonzalez, whose smooth lefthanded stroke is already suited to go to the opposite field, into the friendly confines of Fenway Park and the sky is the limit for the former #1 overall pick by the Marlins in the 2000 MLB Draft. The Monster is about to have a whole lot more bruises.

Did I mention that Gonzalez also plays a spectacular first base? In fact, he's won two of the last three gold gloves at the position, narrowly missing out on a third this season to Albert Pujols. By acquiring Gonzalez, it appears that Kevin Youkilis will shift back to third base, his natural position. As a result, it appears Sox fans have seen the last of Adrian Beltre.

However, by losing Beltre, the Sox should have enough money to sign one more marquee free agent, even after breaking the bank on a long-term extension for Gonzalez, which the Sox hope to hammer out once the deal is official.

If the Sox are able to land Werth or Crawford, imagine this lineup on opening day:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez 1B
4. Kevin Youkilis 3B
5. David Ortiz DH
6. Jayson Werth/Carl Crawford LF
7. J.D. Drew RF
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
9. Marco Scutaro SS

Don't mind me but I seem to be drooling over my keyboard.

In the end, while it hurts giving up Casey Kelly (the Sox #1 pitching prospect), Anthony Rizzo (a power-hitting 1st baseman who hit 20 homers and 80 RBI's in AA last season) and Reymond Fuentes (the Sox 2009 1st round pick, a speedy outfielder who steals bases like they're going out of style), Boston found a way to make the deal without giving up Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard, Ryan Kalish and shortstop phenom Jose Iglesias.

I liken the deal to the blockbuster trade that Danny Ainge made when he stole Kevin Garnett from Minnesota in 2007. While the prospects the Celtics gave up had up-side (I hated to see big Al Jefferson go), they pale in comparison to receiving a superstar like Garnett, or in this case Gonzalez.

This is now Theo Epstein's greatest move to date. It's even bigger than landing Curt Schilling over Thanksgiving Dinner in 2003 because, although the Sox were able to break the curse as a result, acquiring Gonzalez alters the balance of power in the AL East for the next decade, not just one season. The Sox were lacking some serious star power in recent years. In Gonzalez, they just acquired the biggest one in the galaxy.

The Red Sox are now serious contenders again. And December 4, 2010 will go down in history as the day they struck back.