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Adrian Gonzalez has been reportedly traded to the Boston Red Sox for minor league prospects P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Raymond Fuentes, ESPN.com reports.

Gonzalez is one of the best first baseman in the game. Perhaps only Albert Pujols is better.

Casey Kelly was the clear target of the Padres in this deal. His name was the only specific component to a deal that has been rumored for the better part of the last 24 hours.

Deemed a future top-of-the-rotation pitcher, is he really worth one of the best first baseman in the game?

Let’s start with the basics:

Kelly, just 21 years of age, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round (30th overall) of the 2008 MLB Amateur draft. He split time between pitcher and shortstop in his first two minor league seasons before making the decision to pitch full time starting in 2010.

Kelly made 21 starts (the most he’s ever made as a pitcher on the professional level) last season. He was 3-5 with a 5.31 ERA and 1.61 WHIP before he was shut down in August due to a lat muscle strain. He pitched a total of just 95.0 innings—roughly 4.5 innings per start.

While the talent is presumably there, Kelly is a long way off from being Major League ready. The Padres would be lucky to have him up at any point during the 2012 campaign, and it’s possible that his stay in the minors could extend even further beyond that.

Anthony Rizzo, also 21, projects as a decent power-hitting first baseman in the Majors. In 2010, over stints with the High-A Salem Red Sox and Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, Rizzo hit 25 HR and 100 RBI in 531 AB, with a batting line of .260/.334/.480.

Rizzo is labeled as a solid defender—he has just 24 errors and a .991 fielding percentage in 2585 chances through his minor league career. He also has the reputation of being a bit of a free swinger—he had 132 SO to just 61 BB last year.

Fuentes is just 19, and hit .270 with 42 stolen bases over 104 games with the Class A Greenville Drive.

All three have talent, but none of them are close to being Major League ready. It could legitimately be at least two years before any of the three see any action.

The Padres chose not to pursue players like OF Jacoby Ellsbury, OF Ryan Kalish and SS Jose Iglesias, all of whom who are either MLB ready or not far off.

Ellsbury is likely to start the year for the Red Sox in center field and Kalish will probably split time between the minors and majors. Iglesias, while his bat isn’t Major League ready, is considered to already be an above average MLB defender.

This move can’t be popular in San Diego. The Padres knew that they wouldn’t be able to re-sign Gonzalez once he hits free agency in 2011, yet it’s still a bit odd that they dealt their best player without getting anyone of Major League talent in return. 

Considering the fashion in which the Padres missed the playoffs last season and now the trade of Gonzalez, there isn’t much to look forward to in San Diego next year.

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The Boston Globe and other sources are reporting that the Red Sox and San Diego Padres have agreed on a deal that will bring slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Boston in exchange for three minor leaguers.

The Globe is reporting that MLB sources have confirmed the Padres will receive P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and CF Rey Fuentes in the trade.

If the report turns out to be true, Red Sox Nation will have to give Theo Epstein a HUGE tip of the cap for finalizing the deal while retaining P Daniel Bard, SS Jose Iglesias and OF Ryan Kalish.

The cost is significant, but it could have been much worse. The organization seems to have prepared itself nicely to trade away a bevy of talent, both in terms of talent already withing the system and draft picks (the Red Sox will have as many as seven of the first 50 or 60 picks in the 2011 draft).

Kelly is the organization’s top prospect, but the club drafted another pitcher last June who may have more upside than Kelly… they selected RHP Anthony Renaudo, from LSU, with the 39th pick in the 2010 draft.

Renaudo was projected to be a top-five pick when the 2009 college season got underway, but he suffered an elbow injury and slid to the Sox in the supplemental round (the pick was one of the two picks the Red Sox received for Billy Wagner).

The Red Sox held off signing him and watched his progress during the Cape Cod League season—where he impressed everyone—before signing him at the eleventh hour.

He has an extremely high ceiling. Some of the luster wore off Kelly’s prospect status last season, and some scouts now have him rated as a middle-of-the-rotation talent, whereas most observers believe Renaudo can become a top-of-the-rotation horse.

Rizzo is an excellent prospect who will likely start the 2011 season in Triple-A with the Padres. But with Gonzalez in the fold, the Red Sox don’t need a first baseman, so Rizzo and fellow prospect Lars Anderson both become expendable.

Fuentes is an athletic prospect who spent last year in A-ball, but he doesn’t project to have much in the way of power, therefore his upside is somewhat limited.

Frankly, I thought A-Gon would have cost the Red Sox considerably more in terms of talent.

So, with the parameters of the deal in place, the next step is for the Sox medical staff to review the medical reports on Gonzalez’ shoulder (which was operated on after the season finished).

If the reports check out, it’s a near-certainty the Red Sox will have a window in which to negotiate a long-term contract extension with Gonzalez before the trade gets finalized. (Guessing: seven years and $150 million?)

Look for the trade to become official early next week at the beginning of the winter meetings.

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It is being reported that the Yankees captain and shortstop will re-sign with the only team he has ever known.

Jeter will re-sign with New York for three years anywhere between $45-51 million with a potential fourth year in place, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

It’s about time the two parties were able to come to some sort of agreement.

This process took far too long for one of the Yankees’ all time greats and first ballot Hall of Famer. Derek Jeter is far too important to the Yankees, Yankees nation and Major League Baseball in general.

Jeter is the face of the team and the Majors. The amount of money the Yankees profit on Jeter alone made this re-signing a no-brainer. Money should never have been a topic of discussion. Jeter is worth every penny.

The Yankees just completed a two-year deal with Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera for $30 million.

Now that he Yankees has two of their staples back on the team, they can finally focus on bringing in free agent acquisitions such as Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford. Both are necessary acquisitions to bring a 28th championship to New York now that the Red Sox will bring in Adrian Gonzalez, one of the most feared hitters in the league, to Beantown.

The re-signing process took too long for Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, but at least it’s over. Yankee nation can sleep softly knowing their Hall of Fame cogs are back with the Empire. The dynasty will continue in 2011 with two of the greatest players to ever grace the diamond on board.

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Adrian Gonzalez, one of the MLB’s premier hitters, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Although this isn’t a shock, as the Red Sox attempted to trade for the superstar slugger before the 2010 Trade Deadline, this is the type of move that will send shock waves throughout the AL East division.

Gonzalez is an excellent power hitter and will thrive at Fenway Park. He has a fantastic eye and will put a ton of pressure on opposing pitchers.

With Gonzalez on board, the Red Sox can move Kevin Youkilis back to third base and don’t have to worry about filling the void of Adrian Beltre.

This move will surely create a domino effect as the Yankees will be forced to answer with a monster acquisition of their own.

It is unknown exactly who the San Diego Padres will receive in return, but it almost doesn’t even matter.

The Red Sox lineup is now stacked.

They are in prime position with their pitching staff and veteran hitters to make another championship run. Despite all of the injuries last season, manager Terry Francona did a hell of a job keeping his squad together and focused for the most part, almost making a playoff run at the end of the season.

With Adrian Gonzalez on board, this gritty and resilient Red Sox team will be extremely scary in the 2011 season.

Last season, Gonzalez batted .298 with 31 homers, 101 RBIs and 87 runs scored.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis make up one of the deadliest opening five hitters of any lineup in the majors.

The Yankees just re-signed Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera to a two-year deal. They are still in serious negotiations with captain Derek Jeter. These re-signings won’t be enough now that the Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez. They can’t counter with a jab; they need to pull out all of the stops.

The MLB offseason has officially opened for business.

The clock is ticking, New York Yankees.

For now, Red Sox Nation must be going wild for their superstar acquisition that has them in prime position for another World Series championship.

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With reports that 1B Adrian Gonzalez is on his way to Boston, the landscape in the American League East has shifted in a big way. Unknown to the average fan because he was lost in San Diego for years, Gonzalez is one of the best first basemen in baseball.

Gonzalez has posted a .274/.374/.514 line in baseball’s worst hitters park. To go along with fantastic offensive numbers, he is one of the better defensive first basemen in the game as well.

Normally, going to the American League East would signal a downturn in a player’s numbers because the division is so strong. But with Gonzalez leaving San Diego and going to the smaller Fenway Park, where he can pepper balls off the Green Monster, it is going to make him even more of an offensive force.

Also, it allows Boston to move Kevin Youkilis to third base, where he was a solid performer in limited duties there from 2004-2010. The move spells the end of the Adrian Beltre era in Boston, no doubt a disappointment for uber-agent Scott Boras, who would have loved to have Boston’s money in the bidding for one of the few premium free agents this winter.

In return, San Diego gets prized Red Sox pitching prospect Casey Kelly. He was drafted in 2008 and, despite reports suggesting that his future was as a pitcher, primarily played SS in the minors in 2008 and 2009 while pitching a very limited number of innings as well.

In 2010, Kelly switched to pitching full time, and though the numbers weren’t as impressive as you would like to see (5.31 ERA, 118 hits in 95 innings), he was one of the younger players in Double-A, at 20 years old.

According to the Baseball America scouting report, Kelly throws an 89-92 mph fastball that he can cut or sink to get hitters out. He has an above-average changeup and potentially a plus 12-6 curveball. His motion is easy and doesn’t put a lot of stress on his arm. He is likely a No. 2 starter but has ace potential.

Reportedly, also included in the deal to the Padres are 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Ryan Kalish. Rizzo has a smooth swing and can drive the ball to all fields. He has decent pop, projecting to have 20 home run power in his prime. He is also a solid defender at 1B with soft hands and a good arm.

Ryan Kalish is a good, patient hitter with some pop in his bat as well. He has good speed and an average arm. He projects as more of a corner outfielder, though his speed and instincts would allow him to play center if necessary.

A HUGE win for the Red Sox in this deal as they give up three very good, potential impact prospects for one of the best, most inexpensive first basemen in baseball (Gonzalez will make $6.3 million in 2011). His salary will increase exponentially when he signs his new contract, and he could ask for something in the range of Ryan Howard’s (ridiculous) $25 million a year.

The move immediately improves the Red Sox by at least three wins over last year, and the healthy return of the injured players lost last year will make Boston the AL East favorites right along with the Yankees.

Update: The deal is done and the Padres get Kelly, Rizzo, and Reymond Fuentes, not Kalish as previously rumored, plus a player to be named later. Fuentes has top-level speed and is very polished with the bat. He is a very good defender in center, with scouts saying he has gold-glove potential. He is a contact hitter who can occasionally drive the ball. In San Diego, he likely won’t hit more than 10-12 homers though.

*Scouting reports on prospects came from 2010 Baseball America Prospect Handbook.

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The San Diego Padres are talking fairly extensively to teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox, though not exclusively the Red Sox—about trades involving All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

The likelihood of a trade isn’t known, but one source says the situation involves “pretty good discussions” with multiple teams. Padres chairman Jeff Moorad told the San Diego Union-Tribune that there are at least three teams talking to San Diego about Gonzalez, whose value is enhanced by a bargain $5.9 million salary in 2011.

The Padres, who battled to the final day of the regular season before losing out by one game to the San Francisco Giants, may feel that their take in any Gonzalez deal would be diminished if they waited until this summer.

Gonzalez had shoulder surgery following the season, but agent John Boggs said he is “well ahead of schedule.” Boggs also said, “I think he’s going to be ready for Opening Day. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”

Gonzalez is thought to like the idea of Boston if he is traded. The Red Sox could fulfill his desire to be paid like the Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who signed an eight-year, $180 million contract before the 2009 season. The Cubs, Nationals and Mariners are among other teams looking for a first baseman, as are the White Sox (a return for Paul Konerko seems to be the likely solution there), Diamondbacks and Orioles.

The Red Sox have long been seen as the obvious match for Gonzalez, as they love his power and could shift Kevin Youkilis from first base to third, where he has been working out already this winter. The Red Sox have been interested in retaining free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, but their hopes to do so appear to be diminishing.

The Padres front office also is filled with ex-Red Sox executives including GM Jed Hoyer, assistant GM Jason McLeod and the newly hired Josh Byrnes. The Red Sox have a strong minor league system, with standout pitchers Casey Kelly and Felix Doubront, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Lars Anderson and shortstop Jose Iglesias.

If the Red Sox don’t re-sign Beltre (and it appears he’s likely to go elsewhere), Gonzalez would make a nice consolation prize. Opponents have been amazed at his ability put up big numbers in a pitcher’s park like Petco with very little lineup protection. And he did it again in 2010 despite a shoulder issue

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According to ESPN.com and multiple sources, the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox have agreed in principle on a deal to send All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox.

It’s not known exactly who the Sox would send, but reports indicate that the deal would be centered around top organizational pitching prospect Casey Kelley. Names like Ryan Kalish, Anthony Rizzo, Raymond Fuentes and others have been tossed around as well.

It’s important to note that ESPN is reporting that the Padres would not receive any major league talent in the deal. This means that the Sox will be hanging on to outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been embroiled in trade rumors ever since his injury-filled 2010 season.

No further word yet on the progress of a new extension for Gonzalez; he’s a free agent after the 2011 season and the Sox would likely extend him before the season starts.

Gonzalez has been the apple of GM Theo Epstein’s eye for the last few years, and now it seems official. A-Gon is coming to Boston.

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The Red Sox may finally be on the verge of acquiring the bat that is the apple of GM Theo Epstein’s eye…and that bat doesn’t belong to either of the free agent outfielders (Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth) Epstein has been visiting this week.

Published reports indicate that Epstein may be closing in on a deal with former assistant Jed Hoyer, the general manager of the San Diego Padres, that will bring 1B Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. Those reports say the Red Sox will send a bevy of minor league prospects westward in the deal, to the exclusion of anyone on the Red Sox major league roster, but it says here that such reports are wishful thinking…I cannot imagine Hoyer trading A-Gon without getting back at least one young, INEXPENSIVE big-league player in return.

I will be writing a post in the next day or so that lays out the reasons Daniel Bard WILL NOT be included in the deal—and he should NOT be included in the deal—but it seems logical that any of the other Red Sox young hopefuls could be included in the deal. While Epstein & Company will try to keep SS Jose Iglesias from being included, it’s a near-certainty that Hoyer would want the blue-chipper as part of his haul from the Red Sox. If Epstein can hang on to Iglesias, he’ll be the front-runner for the 2011 MLB Executive of the Year.

My prediction: Jacoby Ellsbury, Casey Kelly, Stolmy Pimental and Anthony Rizzo will go to the Padres in the deal.

Of course, prior to finalizing the deal and sending four quality players/prospects to the Padres, the Red Sox will insist on talking with Gonzalez about a contract extension—something in the vicinity of six-years and $120 million. The Sox will also want to take a look at the medical reports on Gonzalez to assure the slugger’s shoulder is recuperating properly after offseason surgery.

I then expect the Sox will spend another $20 million a year (for five or six years) on Carl Crawford, replacing Ellsbury’s speed atop the lineup with the former Tampa Bay outfielder.

Epstein has coveted Gonzalez, 28, since the middle of the 2009 season, and made an aborted attempt to acquire him at the 2009 trade deadline last winter, and then again at the 2010 trade deadline…all to no avail. But it would appear that he has the talent and the determination to make it happen this time around.

Hoyer will need to extract a sizeable haul from the Red Sox in order to justify the trade to Padres fans, just a few months after the team unexpectedly finished just one game out of the postseason. Gonzalez is the team’s most popular player, a native son with a great deal of crossover appeal with the team’s Mexican-American market. But he is due to make in excess of $6 million in 2011, and the Padres are working under significant financial constraints. They’ve admitted they can’t sign him and have come to the realization they need to trade him…and Hoyer knows he will never get more in return for A-Gon than he can right now.

Hoyer certainly knows Gonzalez is worth far more than two draft picks (which would be what the Padres would receive if he were to play out his contract and become a free agent next offseason). Add to that the fact that Hoyer would be handcuffed from trading the first baseman at the 2011 trade deadline if his team were in contention, as they were last season, and all signs point to a deal getting done this offseason…likely at the winter meetings next week.

By trading Gonzalez now, Hoyer will be able to fill the holes the club has entering the season while acquiring low-cost players that would remain under the team’s control for up to six years…and in today’s baseball climate those considerations are tantamount in a place like San Diego.

Hoyer and his assistant, Jason McLeod, who served as Boston’s scouting director until joining Hoyer in San Diego, are intimately familiar with the Red Sox farm system. They will likely insist on pitcher Casey Kelly and first baseman Anthony Rizzo in any deal. Additionally, they will want at least two more players/prospects…and with both Kelly and Rizzo at least another year away from being major-league ready, Hoyer will want to have someone to plug into the lineup to show an immediate return on the trade—that player will likely be Ellsbury. Lastly, pitching being what it is, they will want a pitcher in the deal…and with Pimental rising up the prospect rankings it seems likely he’ll be the one to go.

The cost won’t be cheap for the Red Sox, but they have a plethora of talent in the farm system right now. They will also have as many as seven picks among the first 50 or so picks at next June’s draft so they will have an opportunity to immediately replenish whatever they send west.

The timing is right on both sides of the table to get a deal done…it’s time to strike while the iron is hot!

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This season you saw some new names with the Boston Red Sox. So what names will be heard again when Opening Day comes? This is who to expect in Boston for the 2011 MLB season. This also looks at the Derek Jeter rumor around the middle, and what you should expect of the Yankee captain. The Red Sox struggled due to injury in 2010, but expect many players to return to form, and see some players attempt to kick start their career once again. Expect Boston to make a few key moves to cover their needs, which range from relief pitching, to outfield, and of course the corners of the infield are a hot topic.

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The off-season free agency frenzy has already begun, and so far we’ve seen only a handful of players switch teams. Dan Uggla was dealt to the Braves, Javier Vazquez returned to the NL, and Victor Martinez joined fellow countryman Miguel Cabrera in Detroit.

While unsigned free agents Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre and Carl Crawford will make great impacts for their new teams, we can’t forget that there is more than one way to improve your team.

Here we take a look at eight trades that should happen this off-season for a variety of reasons. Whether it be due to salary concerns or an attempt to re-build with young players, some big names could be dealt this winter. Here are eight transactions that are both realistic and beneficial.

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