Off season in the AL East cannot be considered anything short of an arms race. The Yankees and the Red Sox go tit for tat every year at this time, spending ridiculous amounts of money to improve their rosters (see JD Drew, Kei Igawa).
Well first blood has gone to the Red Sox, signing a game changing first baseman with power to hit 40 home runs. How important is this guy? Think Manny Ramirez important. Come playoff time, every team needs a guy who scares the crap out of the other team when he's at bat. The best example of this I can think of was Gary Sheffield when he was with the Yanks. The guy was swinging the bat so hard that you thought check swings could take the ball out of the park. I literally used to think he would come out of his shoes. Well, Adrian Gonzalez is that type of hitter.
On the downside, the Sox will likely have to part ways with the surprisingly effective Adrian Beltre, also known as Mr. Contract Year. He hit .321 last year with 28 long balls. Reminds you a lot of his 2004 campaign with the Dodgers (also a contract year) where he hit .334 with 48 home runs and signed a laughable contract with the Mariners and proceeded to never bat above .276 and 26 home runs. Something tells me Oakland will splash for Beltre and regret it by the middle of June.
Long story short though, the Sox gave up 4 prospects. Theo Epstein stacked the farm system for exactly this type of trade and managed to get Gonzalez without having to give up a single everyday player on the current Red Sox roster.
Your move Brian Cashman.
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