Adrian Gonzalez to Red Sox

[Vermont Green]

"We discussed the trade, but we didn't reach any agreement, and we didn't negotiate numbers," he is quoted as telling Fernando Ballesteros in the blog. "The only thing I have for sure is the contract I had already signed with the Padres, and what I can tell you is that over the course of the season we're going to negotiate to reach an agreement."

http://www.nesn.com/2010/12/report-adrian-gonzalez-denies-reports-that-hes-agreed-on-extension-with-red-sox.html

Half of this just sounds like saying what you are supposed to say but he also says "we didn't negotiate numbers".  I have been skeptical about this all along (and wrong about it) but I sure hope they do in fact have a gentlemen's agreement on what it will take to do an extension.  If not, this may be even worse than I fear and the Sox just paniced after the Werth deal.

I still don't think they would be all that bad off if they had just signed Beltre and Crawford and used the prospects for pitching.  Seven year deals are long deals even for character guys like Gonzalez and Crawford.  And if we don't even have a deal for Gonzalez, this is a huge risk.

[Vermont Green]

I went back to look to see the old Adrian Gonzalez thread and I was surprised to see that I had made the last post (in Dec 2009, wow).  Yes, I was against the deal.  It is not that I didn't think AG was a good player but to do both trade away top prospects and pay a long expensive contract seemed like too much.

This current slump is really scaring me.  I still wish we had just signed Beltre and kept our prospects but it is easy to say that now in hindsight.

Even though either of the Crawford or Gonzalez deals could turn around, right now they appear to be a very big stain on the Theo Epstein legacy (right up there with the Lackey deal).

The Sox are 19-37 since Sept 1, 2011.  Wow.

[Redz]

Finally got the stroke going last night.

[Vermont Green]

Finally got the stroke going last night.

He made a nice catch in RF and I appreciate his willingness and versitility but I remain concerned at what we gave up and are currently paying a 0.266 hitting, 0.419 slugging 1st baseman who is supposed to be in his prime.