Adrian Gonzalez is
off the trade market according to USA Today, in large part due to the Padres leading the NL West by three games late in the season. That doesn't mean the Red Sox won't have a chance in the offseason to nab him.
The North County Times is reporting that Gonzalez has not had extension talks with the Padres, but that he is looking for an eight-year-deal.
Gonzalez's 2011 option has gone from $5.5 million to $6.2 million thanks to three All-Star selections, two Gold Gloves, and more than 1,650 plate appearances from 2008-10. That increase does nothing to change the fact that Gonzalez's deal is an absolute bargain for the Padres ... San Diego is likely to eventually deal Gonzalez, the Globe's Nick Cafardo wrote on July 18: "What hasn't changed is the attendance, which remains low, averaging 23,738 per game, down about 1,073 from last season.
Another thing that hasn't changed is that Adrian Gonzalez remains the team's lone superstar, and the 28-year-old can become a free agent at the end of next season. Which means there's still a chance Gonzalez could end up with the Red Sox, or whichever big-market team ponies up the right package of established players and prospects in the offseason or at the trading deadline next year." Two words for Red Sox fans: Be patient.