Padres to Adrian Gonzalez: Good Luck and farewell after 2011
Major League Baseball is a weird place to be when every team is looking for a deal that will get them the best players at the cheapest rates. Everyone who is familiar with baseball in the American peninsula knows what’s going on these days. The days of exercising
options are long gone and top teams are prowling for the cheapest deals in the market. The squad composition is bound to change and all clubs in the National League and the American League need to focus on plugging the holes that have left them exposed in
the league.
The World Series ended with the San Francisco Giants prevailing over the Texas Rangers and it doesn’t seem strange to see top players from those teams move out and from those clubs to the free agents’ list. Cliff Lee, Derek Jeter and Carl Crawford are some
powerhouse names on the top of that note.
For the San Diego Padres, expenditure is limited and that has many believing that the 1st baseman, Adrian Gonzalez will not be hanging around after 2011, when the season ends. The veteran hitter had been speculated to shift high gears during July
when the trade session opened up. The ball club however resisted the urge to exchange the team player with another one from a different team. It would prove to be the wisest choice as Gonzalez pulverized pitching opponents for31 home runs and 101 RBIs (Runs
Batted In). With a slugging rate approximated to be .522, the left hand batter put his side up for a post season challenge.
The Padres however were not fortunate to persevere as the Giants overtook them by 2 wins to get through to the playoffs. Adrian had a batting average of .298 during the regular season to end his run in 2010.
Adrian’s agent was reported as saying recently that he would look for the best compensation package for the 3 times All Star hitter. When the 2011 season concludes, the agent will look for the right price for his client, given Padres’ financial woes. San
Diego general manager, Jed Hoyer however has come out with a statement of his own, saying there’s no point, pitching the hitter an offer that can’t meet his expectations as only a limited number of clubs can afford to back him up with his demands.
Given these statements, there can be only one thing that will prevail in 2011 and that is a ‘trade’ in July.
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