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Jon Heyman of SI.com was the first to report that the Boston Red Sox have let the deal for San Diego Padre’s All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez fall through, after Gonzalez and Boston could not reach terms for a contract extension.

Major League Baseball had given both sides a 2 p.m. deadline to reach an extension.

However, does this mean that Gonzalez isn’t coming to Boston? ESPN insider Buster Olney doesnt think so, and he gave his opinion earlier today on EPSN News:

“Does this mean the deal is dead? Not necessarily, because the Red Sox and Padres could still agree to the deal … if the Red Sox felt confident going forward that they could work something else out. I have talked to someone who’s been involved in these conversations who told me that he felt if the Red Sox ever got the sense that they couldn’t work out an extension with Gonzalez they would walk away, that they would not give up their top prospects without having some sense that Gonzalez was going to sign with them…

The Gap when they started talking was pretty enormous because on the Gonzalez side, they were looking for a Mark Teixeira like $180 million deal, [and] I think the Red Sox were looking to come in at $120 [million], so as they began talks yesterday, there was an enormous difference of opinion over what he should be paid. 

I don’t know the mechanics and the timing of how it’s going to get done, but I still think that when the 2011 season opens, that Adrian Gonzalez will be a Red Sox first baseman…

He’s too important to them, they swung and missed at Mark Teixeira, [which] turned out to be a really pivotal moment in their history, now they have an opportunity to get someone who’s very much like Teixeira and they’ve agreed to the players, I gotta believe that at some point the Red Sox, obviously a big market team with a lot of resources will find out some way to bridge the gap over what the differences are, what they’re offering, and what Adrian Gonzalez’ side wants.” 

What Olney is saying makes a lot of sense. And taking into account that Heyman initially cited the difference of years, not dollars as the main reason that a deal did not get done is actually a good sign for Red Sox nation.

While a deal of this magnitude getting temporarily nixed is never good, Red Sox fans should avoid going completely crazy. A few facts remain that should be taken into consideration:

First off, the Padres have already said that they wouldn’t field new offers if the current deal with the Red Sox fell through. This would seem to indicate that the Padres are just as committed to getting the deal done as the Red Sox are.

Second, the Padres have already said that they have no intentions of re-signing the slugger, and that letting him walk and taking compensation picks aren’t to their liking.

This would seem to indicate that getting a deal done before the season starts is their top priority, yet they have no leverage in any negotiations, as every other team knows that the Padres won’t re-sign him.

Third, Padres general manager Jed Hoyer, a former Red Sox assistant GM, enjoys intimate knowledge of the Red Sox farm system. Even if this deal doesn’t work out, he knows the inner workings of the Red Sox organization better than any other GM in baseball (save Theo Epstein), and a deal involving some of the same or other players could surface at any time.

Fourth, the Red Sox were the only team to put a legitimate offer on the table, and it remains to be seen what other organization would be willing to part with such top prospects as well as give Gonzalez the eight years and $180 million that he’s looking for.

Reports have mentioned the Cubs as possible suitors, but they’ve been unwilling to discuss some of their top prospects like Brett Jackson, Tyler Colvin, Hak-Ju Lee, Andrew Cashner, etc.

Fifth, the deal wasn’t put on hold due to a difference of players, just a difference of money. When it comes down to it, the Red Sox can afford to pay Gonzalez what he wants.

Jayson Werth is now a Nat, Carl Crawford is looking for an exorbitant amount of money and is fielding interest from multiple teams, Victor Martinez is gone, and Adrian Beltre could soon follow suit.

The Red Sox need Gonzalez’s bat if they want to create a power swing in the AL East. Offensively, they’d do fine without him but his acquisition could make the Sox the clear favorites in the East.

Sixth, waiting to officially extend Gonzalez until after the season starts would save the Red Sox money on the annual MLB luxury tax.

Finally, GM Theo Epstein has been after Adrian Gonzalez for years. There’s probably no other player, save for Felix Hernandez, who he would rather see in a Red Sox uniform. Gonzalez is the perfect fit for Boston, and Epstein knows it.

He fits into the Red Sox philosophy too well to let a chance to acquire him go to waste. This seems to be one of those situations where even if the underlying factors can make things muddy, at the end of the day the Sox will get their man.

Is this situation painful to Red Sox fans? Sure. To have a player of Gonzalez’ caliber dangled in front of our noses only to have the deal put on hold is excruciating. 

Kind of like watching Daisuke pitch.

The current situation is a feather in every Yankee’s fans cap and throws the rest of the off-season into a shade of uncertainty. But is it time to start jumping off the Zakim bridge? Not yet. Let’s have a little faith, that the front office will (hopefully) do the right thing.

UPDATE: 8:33 p.m.—Multiple reports are filing in that the Red Sox are finalizing the Gonzalez deal, however with no contract extension (yet). Looks like any “panic” was short-lived. Long live Theo?

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The Boston Red Sox had until 2:00 PM EST to work out a contract extension with Adrian Gonzalez, and according to multiple sources, the two sides failed to come to an agreement.

However, this trade has been completed and the Red Sox will wait until spring training to work out a deal with Gonzalez. This is a huge change of events because, to be honest, I was writing about how this deal fell through about 10 minutes ago.

If the Red Sox didn’t pull this off, it would have given them a second negotiation black eye to match the one they got in the Mark Teixeira debacle two winters ago. Now, with a four-month window to negotiate, I would fully expect the Red Sox to get this deal done.

Don’t be surprised if the Red Sox and Gonzalez work out a deal in spring training, but announce the deal until after Opening Day. They did the same thing with Josh Beckett last year. Announcing deals like these after Opening Day helps Boston when it comes to the luxury tax.

A press conference is schedule for Monday to officially announce the trade.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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On the ground at the winter meetings in unseasonably cold Orlando, Fla., there has been quite a bit of action already.

Actually, in much colder Boston, the Adrian Gonzalez trade is currently off, as the slugging first baseman and the Boston Red Sox could not agree on an extension. They had a window until 2 p.m. today, and while the Red Sox were willing to given Gonzalez a six-year extension, the player wanted eight years and “Mark Teixeira money.”

Many people here believe that if Gonzalez tests the free-agent waters after this season, there would be up to six potential suitors for the type of money (eight years/$180 million) Teixeira signed for two winters ago. Those teams include the Dodgers, Angels, Nationals, Cubs and, of course, the Red Sox.

The Cubs were the other teams heavily involved in trying to trade for Gonzalez last week. Could talks with the Cubbies begin anew?

While the deadline for an extension has passed and the trade is now dead, it does not mean it is completely done. The teams could talk trade again (same players involved), and the Red Sox could up their offer.

I believe the Red Sox need Gonzalez so bad that they at least go to a seventh year (he would only be 35 in that last season), and this trade eventually gets done.

It gets done because of the major news today from the meetings that former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth, he of the 120 career home runs at the age of 31, signed a big-money contract with the Washington Nationals.

That deal is for seven years and $126 million. Are you kidding? This deal will turn out just as bad as the deal Jason Bay signed with the New York Mets. Maybe it’s the name.

Well, Scott Boras did his work here and earned every penny of what he is getting paid by Werth.

But the right-hand hitting Werth was also on the Red Sox radar, to complement the trade for the left-hand hitting Gonzalez.

Now Werth is out, and the Gonzalez deal is done, for the time being. Even if the Red Sox do eventually get Gonzalez, they need another bat.

And that means going after Carl Crawford. The Sox can put a dent in the Yankees and Angels’ pursuit for CC No. 2 and improve their own lineup, too.

Let’s say the Red Sox then do sign Crawford. That means the Angels are needing to improve their team. They would like to get lineup help and want Crawford to be their No. 3 hitter.

But if Crawford signs elsewhere, the Angels can improve their team by getting better starting pitching.

And that means going heavy for Cliff Lee. What better way to crush the rival Texas Rangers, hurt the Yankees and improve your own team?

I have always thought the Angels were going to be a dark horse for Lee. However, many people here believe that Lee does not want to go back to the west coast. Valid point.

Also, the Angles aren’t hurting for starting pitching, with five starters already in the fold, including Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Joel Piniero, Dan Haren and Scott Kazmir. But Kazmir is mostly ineffective and could be moved, as he only has one year left before free agency. They could also move the more desirable Santana to make room.

However, money does talk (ask Werth), and the Angels will certainly be able to go $150 million for six years for Lee. That might get it done. Angels owner Arte Moreno has never been shy about spending his hard-earned cash.

Plus, I have always believed the Angels don’t really need Crawford with speedy youngsters Peter Bourjos (ready now) and Mike Trout probably ready in 2013 or sooner. Trout could be the best overall prospect in the major leagues.

Going after and signing Lee would make the Angels the leading contender in the AL West and would severely alter the Yankees pitching plans for their rotation.

If Lee signs elsewhere, what do the Bombers do then? I have several thoughts on what they could do,  but they will be held for another piece.

These possible moves are the domino effects of the Gonzalez trade being called off (for now) and Werth strictly showing us money was the only factor in signing with the Nationals.

So much has gone on here at the winter meetings, and they haven’t even officially begun.

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The Boston Red Sox failed to come to an agreement with first basemen Adrian Gonzalez today on a contract extension.

The botched deal comes on the heels of a potential blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres agreed to earlier in the week. The Red Sox would have sent top prospects Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Reymond Fuentes plus a player to be named later to San Diego in exchange for Gonzalez.

Gonzalez will make $5.5 million in 2011, in what was supposed to be his final season before becoming a free agent. The Red Sox attempted to negotiate an extension with the slugger, but the two sides couldn’t agree on an appropriate figure. But how much is Gonzalez actually worth?

The only way to answer that question is to see what baseball’s other elite first basemen are being paid and how they were performing at the time that they signed their contracts. So with that, here’s a look at the other monster contracts that the game’s top first basemen have signed in recent years.

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A report yesterday had claimed the Boston Red Sox were in the process of finalizing a deal that would see perennial all-star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez shipped to Boston for a plethora of prospects including pitching prospect Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, outfielder Raymond Fuentes and a player to be named later (PTBNL).

Breaking news came to light today as the Red Sox and Gonzalez could not agree on a contract extension by this afternoon’s deadline according to SI‘s Jon Heyman.

The sticking point was Gonzalez was asking for an eight-year deal, while the Red Sox were only willing to go a maximum of six years with their deal. Early reports state he may have been asking for $180 million over the eight-year contract, which averages to around $22.5 million per year.

There was talk that the Red Sox would pull the trigger on the deal, despite not having Gonzalez signed to an extension; however, it looks like the Sox are going to retract the deal.

This is great news for all teams in the AL East, as Gonzalez would’ve added quite the left-handed punch to a powerful Red Sox lineup which includes hitters like Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and speedy outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

With uncertainty surrounding Adrian Beltre’s future, the Sox were looking to move Youkilis to third and bring in Gonzalez; however, the Sox will now have to look in another direction to fill the void left by a possible departure of Beltre.

So with the deal falling through, there is talk that the Blue Jays are showing great interest in adding Gonzalez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

For right now, I expect the Jays to only be interested in him for a single season, so they don’t have to give up blue-chip prospects for him. The price tag for an extension with Gonzalez is far too rich for the Jays tastes.

Don’t count out the Red Sox from re-negotiating a deal; however, the Jays I believe could put up a better rental package than the Sox.

The Jays would more than likely have to give up a top-12 prospect along with another top-25 prospect for Gonzalez and keep it at that, due to his rental status. The Padres would be looking for pitching and a possible first base replacement for Gonzalez, just in case blue-chip prospect Kyle Blanks “fires a blank” at first base next season.

Gonzalez last season hit .298 in 591 at bats with San Diego, clubbing 31 home runs and adding 101 RBIs along with an OPS of .904. Nobody on the Jays outside of Jose Bautista (.995) was over .850 last season.

Feel free to add your thoughts on adding Gonzalez to this Jays lineup.

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After working out a trade for Adrian Gonzalez yesterday, the Boston Red Sox were given a deadline of 2 p.m. on Dec. 5 to work out an extension with Gonzalez, which they have failed to do, according to a source.

It’s widely believed Gonzalez is looking for a contract similar to the eight-year, $180 million deal Mark Teixeira received from the New York Yankees prior to the 2009 season.

The San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox can still work out a deal involving Gonzalez, but the current one is over. The Padres’ package of prospects would be much better if Gonzalez were to sign an extension. 

Gonzalez’s current contract is for the 2011 season only, at the small price of $6.3 million.

The Red Sox have already let star catcher Victor Martinez sign with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent, and are unlikely to sign their own free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre. 

Other Red Sox targets this winter are outfielders Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, but Gonzalez has been their priority since the 2009 trade deadline.

After failing to make the playoffs in 2010 for the first time since 2006, Red Sox fans have expected general manager Theo Epstein to make a major splash this offseason in the trade and free agent market. 

After letting Martinez walk, and now failing to obtain Gonzalez (for now), Epstein has his work cut out for him. The Red Sox still need to remake their bullpen from last season, which was arguably the team’s biggest weakness last year.

Padres general manager Jed Hoyer and assistant general manager Jason McLeod have both recently worked in the Red Sox organization, and are very familiar with the talent level in the Boston minor league system.

The Red Sox still are the favorites to land Gonzalez, but the failure to lock him up now doesn’t help.

After failing to sign Mark Teixeira in 2008 when they appeared to be the favorites to sign him, the Red Sox watched their arch rivals, the New York Yankees, sign the first baseman.

Boston cannot afford to let Adrian Gonzalez go to another team, and certainly not the Yankees. The Red Sox do not have a young, power-hitting bat in their lineup. 

With the Angels looking like the favorites to sign Carl Crawford, and Jayson Werth reminding fans too much of current Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, a trade for Gonzalez is the move the Red Sox have to make before the 2011 season arrives.

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Adrian Gonzalez went a thorough physical at Massachusetts General Hospital today. While the organization has not officially commented on the results, a team official (speaking on the condition of anonymity) said he passed.

Currently, the club, the player and his agent are sequestered in an effort to hammer out a contract extension…so while the Red Sox have not confirmed that he passed the physical, it seems unlikely they would be negotiating a contract extension if he had not.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the ballclub and Gonzalez have until 2:00 PM tomorrow to conclude negotiations on an extension. It is unclear whether the Red Sox would pull the plug on the trade if they are unable to get the first baseman’s name on an extension by that time.

That said, it seems unlikely the organization would come this far and then NOT get the contract done… especially in the aftermath of having botched the final stages of the Teixeira negotiations a couple of years ago.

From the perspective of the player, you have got to believe that he has incentive to get the deal done as soon as possible. While he will likely have no shortage of suitors in the off-season, the fact of the matter is that he just had shoulder surgery and it’s projected that he will not enjoy a full spring training.

He will get a late start, and it’s likely that it will take some time to regain strength in the joint. If he has an off-year, which is entirely possible, he may find that teams will be conservative in the years and money they offer next winter. Right now, he has a perennial contender that is eager to get him under contract. A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush (or so they say).

It seems likely that a potential stumbling block in these negotiations will be a desire by the team to protect itself in the event the injury proves to be troublesome over the long term.

The Sox have secured favorable terms in recent contracts with players who have had some injury problems. They have shown a desire to limit the team’s financial exposure (i.e., Drew, Beckett, Lackey, etc) and it seems likely they will ask for similar protections in the Gonzalez deal.

It remains to be seen whether Gonzo and agent John Boggs would be receptive to such terms.

The team and the player are on the clock. Tick-tock.

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After several of years of rumor and speculation, Adrian Gonzalez has finally been traded from the San Diego Padres to the Boston Red Sox. It almost goes without saying, but leaving the cavernous Petco Park and anemic Padres lineup will do wonders for Gonzo’s fantasy production. The real impact of the trade is how it affects those left behind in (or sent to) San Diego.

First up, and most importantly, is Mat Latos. With 14 wins, more than a strikeout per inning, a 2.92 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, Latos was a fantasy stud last year in his first full season in the big leagues. By any measure, Latos was a top-15 starting pitcher last season. But will he be a top-15 guy in 2011, and should he be drafted that way?  

Even before you take into account how pathetic his run support will be with Gonzalez gone, his peripheral numbers indicate that a slight-to-moderate regression may be in order. Latos benefited from a high LOB% of 77.4% (14th highest in the league) and low line drive rate of 14.6% (4th lowest in the league) in ‘10.  

LOB% stands for left on base percentage and shows how “lucky” pitchers were with base runners they allowed being stranded on base. Given, starting pitchers do have a fair amount of control concerning stranded base runners, but it is possible that Latos comes back towards the mean next year.  

As far as line drive rate goes, it is a wildly unpredictable statistic largely out of a pitcher’s control that can change drastically from one year to the next. Because line drives end up as hits more often than any other type of batted ball, an unlucky swing in this number would have a negative effect on Latos’ ERA and WHIP.

Without Gonzalez, the Padres and Latos figure to accumulate fewer wins than they did last season. With a lower win total and a probable uptick in ERA and WHIP, Latos is still a monster strikeout guy that is probably more of a top-20 to top-25 starter who should be drafted somewhere in the 10th or 11th round in 10 team leagues.

The other guy who becomes very interesting as a result of this trade is one of the top Boston prospects sent to San Diego, right-hander Casey Kelly. Kelly is a 21-year-old who was a first round pick out of high school for the Red Sox in 2008. Those in dynasty leagues or deep keeper leagues should at least keep an eye on the potential Padres ace that could make 15-20 starts in Petco each year.

Written by Brett Talley exclusively for thefantasyfix.com.  Brett is a law student in Dallas who is semi-embarrassed by his performance in thetantasyfix.com’s fantasy football league.  You can follow him on Twitter @therealTAL.

Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter  @thefantasyfix,

or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team!

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MLB Rumors: Adrian Gonzalez, Zack Greinke, Derek Jeter and All the Latest Buzz

News about Adrian Gonzalez, Zack Greinke and Derek Jeter has been buzzing around the sports world, and it’s time to start taking a serious look at some of the biggest rumors in Major League Baseball.

The San Deigo Padres have agreed to trade Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals 2009 Cy Young winner Greinke may be finding himself a new home, and the New York Yankees have finally reached an agreement with shortstop and face of the franchise Jeter.

Did the Padres or the Red Sox get the sweet end of the Gonzalez deal?

Would the Royals be smart to send Greinke on his way?

And is it fair for Derek Jeter to take such a substantial pay cut?

I will keep you posted on all of Saturday’s latest MLB news and rumors and link you to our resident experts for further analysis!

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The Boston Red Sox acquired power-hitting Adrian Gonzalez in a trade with the San Diego Padres for three top prospects. As a result of this trade, Kevin Youkilis will move from first base to third base.

This also means that Adrian Beltre will not play for the Red Sox in 2011.

After a major down year in 2009, Beltre had a bounce-back year in Boston hitting .321, 28 HR and 102 RBI. It was only the second time in his career that he has hit 100 RBI or more.

He has always been a solid to great fielder and is only a shade past 30.

There are many playoff contenders that could use Adrian Beltre and here are some of them.

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have already made a splash by signing Adam Dunn and are still looking to sign first baseman Paul Konerko. They should also sign Beltre and solidify the hot corner.

St. Louis Cardinals

Last Year the St. Louis Cardinals were beat out by the Cincinnati Reds for the NL Central crown. I don’t know how committed they are on young David Freese but Adrian Beltre might be the difference between playoffs and couch potato time come October.

LA Angles

The Angles are known to make similar signings in the past and Beltre would be a great complement to Morales. Alberto Callaspo was a good patchwork job for the Angles at the hot corner but he is not at the same level as Beltre.

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