Fitness, taxes delayed Boston Red Sox' contract negotiations with Adrian Gonzalez: MLB news
There were a number of reasons why the Boston Red Sox delayed signing a contract with Adrian Gonzalez. The Red Sox recently announced a deal with the infielder at Fenway Park, making him the player availing the second biggest salary package
from the club. The seven-year deal worth $154 million will keep Gonzalez at the club from 2012 to 2018. Manager Terry Francona recently got to comment on the news and was appreciative of the development.
There were many reasons why Boston did not sign a deal earlier, when they brought Gonzalez in from the San Diego Padres on a trade deal. The club was working at a deal in December but the infielder had different demands on the table, and sorting those issues
out took time. That however, was not the only reason for the delay.
The first baseman had a right shoulder surgery before joining the Red Sox, and the club wanted to make sure that their investment was not going to end up costing them through injury problems. Francona was aware of that aspect and studied the player well
before he was satisfied with his fitness.
The last cause for the long drawn contract negotiations was due to tax calculations. Since Gonzalez’s $6.2 million salary for 2011 was slotted in for collective bargaining tax, the team escaped additional charges on the revenue sharing ratios. Nevertheless,
Francona’s assessment of the hard hitter comes in the form of his contribution with the bat. To the manager, the slugger is an important player.
Francona told reporters, "We talked about this the other day - we had a pretty good idea about what we were getting. But it's nice to see all the things you hear. And we talked the same thing when we talked Victor Martinez, we knew all of it. But when you
see it, it's kind of reassuring."
The Red Sox manager added, "Especially, we go through a tough week, he's been so positive. And like I said, he gets it. He understands why we're here."
The first baseman has played 859 games in his career so far and his batting average has been around .284. The Boston fans will be hoping he can maintain, or even improve on that figure.
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