Rangers Interested In A’s Gio Gonzalez

A’s lefty pitcher Gio Gonzalez might not leave the AL West during Oakland’s current fire sale. I guess it’s a fire sale. I’m not sure what you call it when you trade your young, under-control pitchers but that’s what the A’s are doing. Oakland already moved 23-year-old Trevor Cahill, signed through 2015 with 2016-2017 team options, to Arizona earlier this month for a package headlined by Jarrod Parker. Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey appear to be the next players shipped out of Oakland and both are first time arbitration eligible for 2012.

Gonzalez, 26-years-old, won’t be a free agent until 2016 and has a 3.17 ERA in 402.2 innings over the past two seasons. After losing staff ace C.J. Wilson to those pesky Angels, the Rangers are thought to be looking for a starting pitcher. Gonzalez naturally looks like a fit…

"The Rangers, however, could be in play, considering they have top prospect Mike Olt and the A’s are looking for a future third baseman, notes FOXSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi. However, as ESPN.com’s Buster Olney says, 20-year-old Rangers lefty Martin Perez would “almost have to be” included in a deal between the A’s and Rangers."

The Monday night news has the Nationals in heavy pursuit of Gonzalez. The Rangers might get more aggressive on Gonzalez if they lose out on Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish as expected [Ed. Or Not?!?!]. A fluid situation, indeed, as I suspect Billy Beane only watches soccer now and a mid-1990’s bubble Mac is actually running the A’s front office.

I certainly wouldn’t mind if Gonzalez left the AL West. Since 2008, the Angels have hit .214/.260/.332 against Gonzalez. The less I have to see of him pitching against the Angels the better. It doesn’t matter how cool I think the name “Gio” is.