Not good.
But let’s go through this anyway.
PROS:
- The last 2 seasons prior to 2014, Gonzalez was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner.
- He’s a corner outfielder.
- Under contract for 3 more years @ 53M total.
- Career .520 SLG.
CONS:
- He ended last season under the knife to repair a torn patella tendon.
- Compares his flashy play to Ricky Henderson.
- He’ll command a profusion of prospects to get.
- 4 total postseason games in his career.
No offense to Mike Morse, but the free-agent power market isn’t something that inspires mid-winter dreams from Cardinals Nation. In order to really make a cannonball in the offseason pool, the Cardinals are going to have to trade.
The Rocks? They’ve made it known that they’re ready to shed the big contracts of Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki… for the right price.
It’s not going to be cheap.
Shelby Miller? Yep. Marco Gonzales, the hometown boy? I’d suspect. Another alluring baseball babe? Most likely.
While the Rocks would like to shed the 53M Gonzalez is contracted for, they also aren’t as eager to get rid of him just to shed payroll. Tulo is owed a minimum of 118M and you’d be more likely to get him for lesser prospects in return for taking on the entire contract.
Shelby Miller has been popular trade fodder for Cardinals trade enthusiasts ever since his mysterious benching in the 2013 playoffs. Will the Cardinals pull the trigger and actually let him go?
Not terribly likely, since his steady presence on the mound every 5 days was a strong contributing factor to a sub-par offensive team making the playoffs in 2014.
If the Rocks are reasonable in their demands for Gonzalez, the Cardinals have the prospects and the payroll to take him on.
They won’t be, though.
Don’t know it for sure. Call it a hunch.
Photo: ESPN
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