Adrian Gonzalez agrees seven-year deal with the Boston Red Sox
Fenway Park hosted a memorable event on Friday when a finalised seven-year deal between first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez, and the Boston Red Sox was presented to the press. The two parties, who had been working to reach an agreement for the last four months,
were finally able to announce the fruits of their labour.
Even though the Red Sox have gotten off to a poor start in the Major League this year, Gonzalez opted to seal the deal to build confidence among the squad. Penning a seven year contract worth $154 million, the first baseman will be stay with the club from
2012 to 2018. Speculation had been thriving about the prospect of an imminent deal. Those rumours have now been laid to rest.
The Red Sox used four of their top prospects to tie the fiery hitter to their organisation. A trade brought Gonzalez over from the San Diego Padres and it presented an opportunity to strengthen a line-up that would soon include the likes of Carl Crawford
and Bobby Jenks.
Boston had brought the infielder for a year of service. The possibility of a free agency hovered over Gonzalez, but he was able to come to terms with the club, as he signed the second largest deal of the off-season with the Red Sox.
Gonzalez told reporters during a press conference at Fenway Park, "I'm a person that for the most part, I want to be in a place where I'm comfortable, where I want to be. This was a place that was a perfect fit for me as well. ... It's a place where I'm
going to have a lot of fun. I'm going to really enjoy playing here."
For Theo Epstein, who negotiated the entire deal, it was a success story. He could not have been happier over the resolution.
Epstein said, "We're thrilled to have him here and know he'll be a core member of the organisation for a long time. We couldn't ask for more from him as a player and as a person. ... I couldn't be happier about it."
With Gonzalez tied to the team for a long period, it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox will look to go after Albert Pujols when offseason comes up this year.
Tags: