Adrian Gonzalez Agent Says First Baseman Nearing Contract Extension With Red Sox

Shortly after that report, Gonzalez denied that any extension was in place while talking to a Mexican newspaper, saying that nothing about the rumors was true, and that he and his agent would negotiate with the team in the months to follow.

Well, now we’ve got an update to the story. Not much has gone the Red Sox’ way in the early part of the season, what with their 0-6 record and all, but according to the Boston Herald, an actual, official contract agreement between Gonzalez and the team is now approaching. Says agent John Boggs:

The Adrian Gonzalez trade - which feels like it happened last year - was actually swung just 11 days ago. In it, the superstar first baseman went to the Red Sox, and prospects Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo, and Reymond Fuentes went to the Padres. However, there was also a fourth player going to San Diego as well in the form of a Player To Be Named Later. And on Thursday, we have word that the PTBNL is none other than Eric Patterson.

The 27-year-old Patterson was an eighth-round pick by the Cubs in 2004. Since then he’s been traded to Oakland, Boston, and now San Diego. He has experience playing second base and all three outfield positions, and has batted .224 in the Majors with a .652 OPS. His numbers in the minors are more encouraging, as his AAA OPS is .852. There’s potential in his bat and he’s a capable base-stealer, which makes him an interesting option off the bench or even as a starter.

Shortly after the Red Sox worked out an Adrian Gonzalez trade with the Padres, it was reported that the Red Sox and Gonzalez had agreed to a contract extension, but were waiting to announce it until after Opening Day to take advantage of a luxury tax loophole.

Now, via SB Nation Boston, we learn that Gonzalez told a Mexican website that no extension has been agreed to. Says Gonzalez:

On Sunday, the Adrian Gonzalez trade went down without a contract extension in place. However, the Red Sox wouldn’t have been willing to send four prospects to the Padres if they weren’t confident that an extension could be worked out, and after Ken Rosenthal reported on the expected parameters, Bob Nightengale is saying now that an agreement has in fact been reached, and the two sides are simply waiting to make an announcement.

According to Nightengale’s sources, the Red Sox will sign Gonzalez to a seven-year extension worth $154 million, or $22 million per year. These figures match up exactly with Rosenthal’s reported parameters, and would give Gonzalez a deal comparable to the eight-year, $180 million contract Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees two seasons ago.

Sure, no contract extension is yet in place, but Monday isn’t a time for concern. Monday is a time for the Red Sox to rejoice, as a day after pulling off an Adrian Gonzalez trade with the Padres, the Red Sox formally introduced their new star first baseman at a Fenway Park press conference.

Said Gonzalez:

The Adrian Gonzalez trade, of course, went down on Sunday, but in the end the Red Sox had to send four prospects to the Padres in exchange for Gonzalez without ever settling on a contract extension. However, the Red Sox are confident that they can get something worked out, and Ken Rosenthal has word on some of the parameters.

According to Rosenthal, an extension with Gonzalez will not be for more than seven years, and it will not average out to more than $22 million per season. That would work out to a maximum contract of seven years and $154 million. For the sake of comparison, the contract that Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees as a free agent in December of 2008 was for eight years, and worth $180 million.

On Sunday, the Red Sox finally pulled off the Adrian Gonzalez trade they’ve been trying to make for a few years. Gonzalez is set to be a free agent after the season, though, and the trade was made without a contract extension in place. However, the Red Sox are confident that the two sides can reach an agreement, and Ken Rosenthal fills us in on the state of their talks.

According to Rosenthal, Gonzalez asked for a six-year contract worth $150 million, while the Red Sox countered with a five-year contract worth $120 million. It’s a difference of one season and $1 million a year, which sounds really substantial, but may not end up as much of an obstacle.

After a busy, up-and-down Sunday, the Adrian Gonzalez trade has been completed, with Gonzalez going from the Padres to the Red Sox, and three prospects going from the Red Sox to the Padres.

The trade was jeopardized when the two sides couldn’t work out a contract extension for free-agent-to-be Gonzalez before a 2pm ET Sunday deadline. However, the trade was done a few hours later anyway without an extension in place, and according to Jon Heyman, it’s because the Red Sox believe they can reach an agreement with Gonzalez before he enters the market.

Re-write everything. Then re-write everything again. The Adrian Gonzalez trade has taken its latest twist, and according to Jon Heyman, the deal is done. A press conference is expected for Monday.

To recap, the Red Sox and Padres agreed in principle to an Adrian Gonzalez trade on Thursday night. Gonzalez was set to become a free agent after the 2011 season, and the Red Sox were given until 2pm ET Sunday afternoon to work out a contract extension. No such contract extension was reached, but there remained a possibility that the trade could still go down anyway, and, now, it has.

Gonzalez and the Red Sox had until 2pm ET Sunday afternoon to work out a new contract. This was considered a “soft” deadline, and Alex Speier reported that the two sides were still working right up to and through the limit, but nothing materialized. The 28-year-old Gonzalez was rumored to be seeking an eight-year contract, while the Red Sox were reluctant to go that long and wanted to keep things a few seasons shorter.

There had been reports that the Red Sox would be willing to swing the trade even if they couldn’t get Gonzalez signed, but, evidently, that wasn’t true. And so all of this action may have gone for naught. Ken Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox and Padres can still talk about the deal, and that only the contract negotiation window has closed. The trade isn’t yet completely dead. But the most likely scenario now is that Gonzalez returns to the Padres, where he may play out the season, while the Red Sox turn their attention to signing Jayson Werth and re-signing Adrian Beltre.

The Red Sox are on the verge of a major roster upgrade, as they’ve agreed in principle to an Adrian Gonzalez trade that will bring the star first baseman over from San Diego.

However, as part of the deal, the Red Sox are trying to negotiate a contract extension for Gonzalez, who is currently a year away from free agency. And according to Ken Rosenthal, they have until 2pm ET on Sunday to work something out, at which point the negotiation window will close.

On Saturday, MLB.com is confirming that the Red Sox and Padres have, in principle, agreed to a trade that would send Adrian Gonzalez to Boston, though an official contract is still yet to be signed. The teams themselves have yet to confirm the trade to the media.

Gonzalez, who posted a .904 OPS last season, is arguably one of the top five hitters in baseball, and the prospect of him in the middle of the already-powerful Red Sox lineup is sort of frightening. He’ll make up the heart of the order, along with Kevin Youkilis (.975 OPS in 2010) and David Ortiz (.899). This does mean, however, that the Sox are almost certainly not going to retain third baseman Adrian Beltre, as Ortiz is firmly entrenched in the DH spot and Youkilis will need to move to the five-hole in order to make room for Gonzalez.

While the Red Sox and Padres have yet to officially announce a trade that would send slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Boston, multiple reports are emerging that detail the specifics of the trade. Dan Hayes of NCTimes.com is reporting that the Padres are set to receive several prospects in return.

Kelly was drafted in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft, and actually turned down a full scholarship to play quarterback at Tennessee. In 2010, Kelly pitched 95 innings in double-A ball, posting a 5.31 ERA with 81 strikeouts.

For much more on this deal, head to SB Nation Boston and Over The Monster.