I couldn't agree more!!! Think what a bat like that would do in terms of protection for Jones, Markakis, Wieters, and Reimold! But would it mean that we'd have to strip the cupboard bare to get him?

Not without an extension first to buy out his remaining arbitration years and a few more on top of that.

Giving up our top flight young pitchers for him would be stupid with only 2 years of club control left.

We'd already have gonzalez if we'd given up Rodrigo Lopez years and years ago. Lets not make that mistake again and go out and get him.

Are you related to that dude form ESPN. Look what Boston is giving up to get him. I wouldn't give up Jones,Tillman +. I would love to have him, but at what cost? It's definitely worth the look. I like these 2 moves also, but all I want for Christmas is Erik Bedard, I don't care when he can pitch.

I agree, we need to give up Felix Pie, Luke Scott, and David Hernandez, another minor league pitcher to get him. If we get him I am confident that we will have a WINNING season and could COMPETE with those big spenders and get them thinking about us again. Mr MacPhail please go get him!!!!

Why get our hopes up? This is just like the Tex deal all over again only even less likely to happen.

Half the reason why you stockpile young pitchers is so you can trade them. 80% of these guys won't amount to anything, lets trade them for a proven young star on the way up.

Im not getting my hopes up though. Fool me once...

I agree they should make a push for Adrian. My only question is, does he have a no-trade clause and if so would he approve the trade to the O's?

So, let's trade 3-4 young players for the San Diego first baseman who is from San Diego and is only signed for 2 years.

What kind of extension are you giving Gonzalez, Mr. Cowherd? He would likely get 7 years, $150 million on the free agent market. Are you gonna convince him to come play in Baltimore for the next 7 years?

The far more intelligent move would be to sign Matt Holliday. He'd only cost you money.

Pass on Gonzalez.

The only problem with this argument is that the Padres would want a package starting with Adam Jones and Chris Tilman. Remember, they want Ellsbury and Buckholz PLUS minor leaguers from the Red Sox.

I'd be all for the trade if they want a package starting with Pie and Arrieta maybe, but that won't get it done . . . be realistic.

While I would love to land Gonzalez, I think the O's should make a push for Prince Fielder. Hes' younger and has been a more consistent hitter so far throughout his career.

Not without an extension first to buy out his remaining arbitration years and a few more on top of that.

Giving up our top flight young pitchers for him would be stupid with only 2 years of club control left.

Posted by: jason | December 17, 2009 9:20 AM

For all of you screaming and crying about getting Adrian Gonzalez, read Jason's post over and over again, until you understand. He's a great player, no doubt about it. But why trade away what I guess would be at least 3 top flight prospects and a mid-level prospect or maybe two for ONE major leaguer who will be gone in 2 years. Say what you want...oh, we'll sign him to an extension, if he won't sign we'll trade him etc. etc. You can't slam Angelos for not spending money on these boards all day and then turn around and say he's going to open the vault for Gonzalez. What would we trade him for? Prospects? Meanwhile, the ones we traded for him are in the majors. It would be nice for the time we had him, but it doesn't make sense in the long run. This team is building for 2011 and beyond. 2010 would be nice, but it's not going to happen. .500 is the best that can be hoped for this year.

If they really want to be serious they should sign Holliday and then trade for Gonzalez. Trading for Holliday really only makes sense if you're then going to turn around and trade an outfielder. So, sign Holliday, then trade Jones and a pitcher for Gonzalez (hopefully not Tillman but it might come to that). Sign Bedard who will hopefully give you 15-20 starts.... so you have...

1. Roberts, 2B
2. Markakis, RF
3. Weiters, C
4. Gonzalez, 1B
5. Holliday, LF
6. Reimold, DH
7. Atkins, 3B
8. Pie, CF
9. Izturis, SS

This would make them much stronger against lefties. You have Scott to play against righties, Wigginton as a nice offensive utility player, Moeller as your backup catcher, and Andino as your defensive infielder. Only issue is that Markakis has to play CF to spell Pie.

I would hope the Orioles would make a serious push to get A. Gonzalez, and that they won't pursue Matt Holliday. Holliday is an outfielder, and the Orioles have some very good hitting young outfielders to the extent that they can rotate these guys through the DH slot to keep their bats in the lineup. Adding Matt Holliday subtracts one of those bats. OTOH if the O's get Gonzalez, his bat would be available in addtion to all of the outfield talent we now have, provided we don't have to give up Pie, Reimold, or Markakis to get him.

Depends on who we would have to give up. If Tillman, Matusz, Bergy or Arrieta are involved- no way! A Gonzo is good, but don't let this be Glenn Davis Part II. I trust MacPhail will do what is best

i'd rather keep the prospects than use them on adrian gonzalez. it's just not the right fit for the team right now.

Why give up your prospects to trade for a guy and give him a $75-80MM extension when you can get similar production by simply signing Holliday? Holliday makes more sense. There's enough athletes in the fold that one can become serviceable defensively at 1B. Keep the prospects and make trades to fill any remaining holes you have. The Yanks or Sox would buy the player and the O's should absolutely buy the guy this time around. If they're hell bent on trading a group of prospects to get A Gonz, they could easily trade that same group for a #1 starter. Two holes filled...

Hi Kevin,

I can see you are agitating again and creating a disturbance in the force for both the Warehouse and the remaining {but rapidly declining} number of true believers.

This type of talk upsets those who have bought into "The Plan". They actually don't want to spend real money or trade real prospects, just like their mentor, Andy"The Music Man"Macphail. They can't wait for 2014 because the future always looks rosier than the present when dealing with Angelos and his Evil Empire.

Shame on you Kevin. I guess you didn't get your talking points from Bill Stetka and Greg Bader about the Atkins and Gonzalez deals. Either that or you have the guts to ignore them and think for yourself, you rogue!

I think Jones, Markakis, and Matusz have to be untouchable...everyone else is fair game. Trade Reimold and Scott (plus some pitching)...that would then open up LF for Holiday.

Forget about Jason's post; read Mr. Deez's post over and over.

Prince Fielder is better than Gonzalez and will be made available soon.

He's about the same age as Jones and Markakis so he would fit in with the 'rebuilding program'.

Seriously? You'd trade Adam Jones and Tillman or Matusz plus some minor leaguers for two years of Adrian? If so, make the case. Don't just say, "Do it." It's not that easy.

I like the guy too, but this is ridiculous. There are only two possibilities.

1) You are just trying to push up content on this blog, no matter how silly and poorly-thought-out it is.

2) You don't know very much about baseball. I'm sure the Pirates have a job in the front office for you.

Pieces like this are silly. You can't say "trade for guy X, you won't regret it!" without knowing who we would have to give up, or whether we'd be able to extend him. If we have to give up Matusz, Tillman, or Jones, no thanks. If we can't sign AGon to an extension, no thanks.

Bob S, you have to include Weiters in the group of untouchables...as others have said, I'd rather have Fielder than Gonzalez...he's younger, and you might be able to lock him up longer term than you would with Gonzalez, who might just be inclined to finish up his two years and head right back to SD...

Holliday is profoundly overrated. Dude can't cut it in the AL.

There're rumors that O's are trying to sign Holliday. That's commendable, but he isn't a cleanup type of a hitter. Could that be a prelude to O's making Reimold available for a trade for Gonzalez though? If the O's sign Bedard then they could come up with a package that could bring Adrian to the O's. I'd even be willing to give up Matusz plus Hernandez, Arrieta and Pie/Snyder or something along those lines. I'd try to trade Scott to get a prospect to be thrown into the mix, and then sign Guerrero instead of Holliday to keep the budget in check. Hitters of the ilk of Gonzalez don't become available that often so you got to take advantage of the situation. No harm in thinking big, right?

Like said in an other post on here. Adrian Gonzalez is worth alot. IMO.. If i was Andy MacPhail I would make a package like this. J.Arrieta why you say Arrieta simple. Compare Arrieta to Erbe. With that said. Arrieta,Z.Britten, Britten is 3-4 yrs away no matter what. Hobbgood is about the same. So far you have a deal around Arrieta and Britten. Now you throw in Brandon Snyder. Snyder would give them a mix of a MLB ready guy who can play 3rd Base or 1st Base. That will help out the deal right there. Now the thing I dont like is every one is saing Adam "Not So Pac Man" Jones. would be giving up 25+ home run poten... for a 40 homer guy. Last I checked thats only at worse a +15 in home runs. So I say no red flag on Jones. But I would Green Flag Scott. He would be going back to the NL. Where he hit well. But do the Orioles and Andy MacPhail wanna give up a already fan favorit for and new fan favorit just waiting to get here. I would also say no to that. When you have more than one fan favorit you will put more but's in the seats and not just when you play the Yankees and Red Sox. But you will put people in the seats when we play the Ray's the Royals hell even the Pirates. So in my eyes the total deal would look like this. J.Arrieta RHP, Z.Britten RHP,T.Patton LHP, B.Snyder IF. They need Pitching like every team. Thats what I would be willing to give up. Now Andy You probley read these blogs so please make something happen. Save the money from Holliday and extend Gonzalez after the trade then hit the market flying for 2011.

This is silly. Why trade top prospects for a guy that could leave in 2 years, unless we can get a sign and trade (and does anyone think he wants to sign a long term deal with a last place east coast team?). Wait 2 years until he's a free agent (and the O's are, hopefully, a bat away from serious contention in the AL East) and then buy him in free agency (assuming he's still the same player...) rather than giving up top prospects now. Stick with the plan!

What has Andy MacPhail been saying since he got here?

Grow the arms, buy the bats.

Going after Holliday makes so much more sense than trying to trade for Gonzalez.

Holliday will cost only money (a ton of money, sure, but they at least appeared to be willing to give Texeira $140 million last year). For Gonzales, we'll have to give up multiple top prospects and still have to sign him to an extension.

If the O's trade for A. Gonzalez, they are not going to give up top level prospects unless he agrees to an extension. I don't see why everyone thinks we would trade prospects for 2 years only to see him walk. I say offer the Padres; Hernandez, another pitcher (not Arrieta, Tillman, Or, Matusz)and, Pie and if they bite ;deal. If not; sign Holliday, let Reimold work at first all spring put Holliday in left and if Reimold develops ok if not swap him for a 1st baseman around the trade deadline.

While I would LOVE to see A Gonz in an Orioles Uniform .. I'm not convinced that he would be worth giving up the 'amount' of talented prospects needed to make this deal 'happen' with the Padres. Remember we are the Os .. and NOT the @#$@ Yanks! Let NY and Bosox mortgage their future for a 2 yr rental. They're are a lot of convincing for and against this trade. What makes me the HAPPIEST is that the O's 'finally' have a Good/Smart/Savy 'Baseball Man' in Andy McPhail (although somewhat conservative) making good baseball decisions!!

It sounds like even the Red Sox are struggling to get Gonzalez - his contract is really inexpensive, so according to the Red Sox, the Padres are "asking for a ton." I don't want to give up a ton for Gonzalez - it would have to be less than what the Mariners gave us for Bedard. We need to build up a team like the Phillies - go with the prospects first, then add guys from the outside to fill in the spaces. We don't need two years of Gonzalez - build for the future!!

If you look at his stats he always has more homeruns on the road then at home. So idk about your Coors Field theory

OK, all of you naysayers, OF COURSE you wouldn't trade 3-4 prospects for AGonzaez when he only had two years left on his contract. You would have to be able to negotiate an extension and it would probably cost 18 million a year. But, if you were able to do that then a trade for this rearest of hitters would be a no-brainer. Yes, it would cost maybe Tillman, Jones or Pie, Arrietta, Snyder or Aubrey and maybe even Berkins or Hernandez but it would be worth it. The O's would have a very competitive lineup an still have several pitching prospects left. Gotta do it or the O's will never be ablwe to compete for more than 3rd place.

If any trade is made it needs to be for Prince Fielder. I like Adrian Gonzalez but not more than Prince Fielder. Look his numbers up...they are sick!

personally i think prince fielder would be better because he is left handed and that wall and short porch in right would match his swing perfectly!
i like the acquisitions so far but again they won't win more than 60 games unless they get a big bat! and another starter!
Fielder and Bedard .. i see them winning 75 to 80 games or better!

you guys must remember tho.. MacPhail is pretty good with trades.. i mean we gave up 2 pretty decent players for 10 players who have or will contribute the major league club.. i dont think he would make the deal if it would include more than 1 or possibly 2 players that will contribute a whole lot on the big league club in the next 2-3 years.. but it would be nice to sign Holliday and then trade for AGon

Anyone know if Holliday has ever played any 1B? Would much rather just spend the money to get a bat than trade away our superstar CF and some of our highly regarded arms that have either just come up to the majors or on the brink. Trade away Jones, Tillman, and others? That is crazy.

I won't bother repeating my comments from Cowherd's Wednesday article.

I'll leave that to people getting paid for it.

While A. Gon. is tempting, it's probably wise to let the young players get another year under their belts and then go after someone like Carlos Pena next year. If he's not there, at least you have a better idea where you stand with the kids and you make a trade from there. Plus you keep your young talent you're trying to build up.

I'm not in favor of dealing off our top pitching prospects just to get one guy, I'd be okay if they dealt one away either Arrieta or Tillman but not both and certainly not Matusz. Pitching is what we need we're not going to trade it all away just for one guy. I wouldn't mind having AG but not for sacrificing pitching, which has been their biggest weakness and might finally be turning around.

Personally, I'd rather have Miguel Cabrera I hear all this criticism about him yet he hits for over .300 and has 30+ HRs and people complain. It'll never happen cause of the contract but he would fill the need at 1B and a HUGE BAT!!

For the right price, pull the trigger but always remember the Glenn Davis trade. Took years for the O's to recover from the loss of Schilling & Finley.

You can't make this trade. It goes against everything the team has been building towards. Sure, the offense would be a force to be reckoned with, but there wouldn't be much of a pitching staff to get anyone out. Plus, the farm system would basically need to start over and the losing cycle would start over... again. The future that everyone has been crying for is close, why would you want to give that up to be, at best, a third place team this year?

Looking at the free agent route, Holliday is overrated. If you really want to go for the big bat right now, Jason Bay is the guy. He's the better power hitter, he's a proven run producer in the AL East and he's cheaper.

Man, this is deja vu all over again. My friend and I had a comedy routine we'd break into mimicking the Rex Barney radio call in show. Idiots in abundance would call in and say, for instance, "Hey, Rex, why don't we trade Jim Traber, Bob Bonnell and Ken Dixon to the Yankees for Don Mattingly and Ron Guidry?" That's the same stupidity demonstrated here by people proposing a deal that sends Gonzo to the O's for Pie, Scott and Hernandez. Are you insane?!?! If the Padres have turned down the Red Sox offer of Buchholtz, Ellersby and two top prospects, why in God's name would they do a deal for Pie (almost given his outright release last year), unproven Hernandez (5+ ERA), and Scott, a journeyman OF/DH whose type is a dime a dozen in MLB?

I typically change the station when I hear your voice on the radio and should have read the writer for this article prior to wasting 90 seconds of my life. What a goof (to put it nicely).

Sign Holliday. Don't give him Texiera Cash, but sign him. He's buddies with Atkins from their CO days, and he's buddies with BRob through FCA. Good chemistry. Move Reimold to first base. Who knows how his achilles will act after surgery. This will lessen the stress on it. We have the best outfield in baseball, and a power hitting 1b.

Hello Kevin. I just wanted to tell you that I can not stand when columnist write these types of articles and let me tell you why. So far you have written 2 seperate times about trading fro A. Gonzalez but in neither mention exactly WHO the Orioles should exchange for him.

All day on the radio you hear fans saying lets make a trade lets make a trade but then when you ask them who would you give up and what it will actually take to get him they have no clue.

1.)The Padres have him under contract for 2 more years and is signed for $4.75 million next season with a $5.5 million club option for 2011. Why with his production would they trade him when he costs next to nothing. They dont have to trade him at all.

2.) What would it take from the Orioles(which you fail to mention) to get him? Matusz? Tillman? Arrieta? Erbe? Adam Jones? All of them? Some of them?

The Orioles finally have brought their farm system back to respectability and you just want to trade them away. We need pitching and yoyu can bet the Padres are gonna want pitching back in return and then we are exactly where we are now with losing seasons but the only difference is we'll be losing 10-9 and 8-7 games every night cause we have no pitching.

You want a bat? How bout Adam Dunn? He is a free agent next year so the Nationals wont have nearly as much leverage when demanding prospects and we package a David Hernandez and a Snyder for Dunn. Left handed 1st base power hitter, problem solved and I even

I totally support trading for Adrian Gonzalez. He is defintely worth having even with having to give up some top prospects to get the bat they've needed since Eddie Murray was an Oriole.

Unfortunately, it won't happen because the O's execs at the Warehouse (that would be you MacPhail and Angelos) won't spend the money it will take to extend his contract and use a reluctance to give up prospects as as their excuse.

It's business as usual in Oriole land. Pursue the cheaper Tier 2 level players and tell the fans how much better they're going to be.

Well, as presently constructed, the O's are still a sub .500 team. Sad.

Matt Holliday and Adrian Gonzalez aren't in the same class. Holliday's career numbers are inflated from playing at Coors, while A-Gon has suffered the opposite fate playing 1/2 his games at PetCo.

Here are the two players 162 game averages at home and away.

Home:
Holliday - avg.- .351 hr- 37 rbi-138 obs - 1.052

A-Gon - avg.- .260 hr- 23 rbi- 80 obs.- .795

Away:
Holliday - avg.- .284 hr- 20 rbi- 84 obs. - .808

A-Gon - avg.- .300 hr- 40 rbi- 116 obs.- .935

Plus A-Gon has already won 2 gold gloves. Any move would need to be contingent on an extension like the Philly - Halladay deal (probably 7-160M would get it done). I'd think anyone should be available outside of Mastuz or Wieters.

A-Gon is also a better bet than Prince b/c there aren't any weight issues and he's a better 1st baseman. Both are young enough that age isn't a consideration (Feilder is 2 yrs younger).

Lastly, the teams improved drafting under Joe Jordan has really put the O's in a position where they can count on talent being added to the farm every year. That allows MacPhail to be confident in moving prospect knowing that more will be on there way soon.

Alright. Reality check people. They're gonna want a lot for Gonzalez. Realistically , a possible trade is: Pie, Britton, Arrieta, and Hernandez. That will give them 2 top prospects, a #3 pitcher (Hrnandez), and a top relief guy. ALL OF WHO WE CAN SPARE.

The Pitching looks like this:

Millwood
Guthrie
Matusz
Bergy
Tillman

Closer: Gonzalez or Uehara

1st Aubrey
2nd Roberts
SS Izturis or Andino
3rd Atkins or Wigginton
Outfielders: Reimold, Jones, and Markakis--Montanez as Backup

Looks good to me!!!

Does anyone know if Reimold has ever been tried at first? He seems to be a good fit there long-term and it would be much easier and cheaper to add a power hitting outfielder (Holliday).

Hey, JW, don't laugh at the Pirates....they're building a better club than the O's.

Pedro Alvarez, Lastings Milledge, Jeff Clement, Jose Tabata,etc. I'd rather have them than Wieters, Markakis, Jones, etc....

New Pirates GM is doing a great job only most fans aren't astute enough to see it.

Folks, please stop inventing lineups with Matt Holliday in them.

As with so many before him, he is simply leaving his Baltimore fans to believe that it could happen when in reality he is using us to drivre up his price in St. Louis.

There will be no Holliday just as there was no Lackey.

Kevin Cowherd is absolutely RIGHT! The O's can and should make the trade that will bring them Adrian Gonzalez. Yes, it will mean giving up some good prospects and maybe an established player, but it is the medicine they need to finally make them competitive and more.

These naysayers have just become too accustomed to losing and too accepting of MacPhail's overly cautious style. At the present pace, the young players will have gotten old before MacPhail thinks he has enough "inventory" to trade any of the prospects away.

If you want to win , particularly in the merciless AL East, you have to be willing to make some bold moves. This is something MacPhail has not shown an inclination to want to do. That means more losing, maybe a little less, but losing nonetheless.

Keep at it Kevin, if only to prove that SOMEBODY in the press hasn't forgotten that the O's once had a roster-full of some of the best players in baseball!

A. Gonzalez is a very rare player--a great hitter, a Gold Glove first-baseman, and, on top of all that, only 27. What more can the O's ask for at 1B?

SD needs to move him because the closer he gets to free agency in two years, the less his trade value. I've read that SD is insisting that Tillman and Reimold, plus one or two from AAA, be part of any trade discussion. I would be ok with that. Tillman is not, in my opinion, on a par with Bergeson or Matusz, and Reimold, whom I like a lot and would hate to lose, is worth sacrificing for a player of A.G.'s caliber. The real problem is the contract extension.

To put that in perspective, however, lets assume that Gonzalez would command maybe 6 yrs/$18 mil per year on the open market. That's a lot. But keep in mind that the O's would be on the hook for only $10 mil for the first two years--the tail end of his current contract. That adds up to $108 + $10 = $118 mil for 8 years, or an average of $14.75 mil per year. At the end of those 8 years, he would still be only 35 years old. At today's prices for comparable talent, that strikes me as a very good deal, in fact a bargain.

The O's are also in the rare position of being one of only two clubs right now that have the trade chips, the cash, and the fit at 1B, to make this a viable proposition, the other being the Red Sox. If O's management were to go hard after him, I think they stand a very good chance of getting him.

That, in turn, could very well be the start of a major turnaround in the O's fortunes.