Hanley v. Gonzo
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by user Xinoph
Many Boston Red Sox fans out there, yours truly included, were concerned about trading away uber-prospect Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell and putting the veteran free-agent Alex Gonzalez (aka Gonzo) at shortstop. There were concerns about Gonzo's offensive output, and whether the team was mortgaging away the future for the present, and if trading away a formerly untouchable prospect was a sign of things to come. Had Theo become frustrated with the farm system? Was its drastic rebuilding the past couple of years really just to give the Sox more trade fodder? These questions were asked. Though the grumblings were quiet - the media largely praised the Beckett deal - they were certainly there.
Fear not, Red Sox Nation. As usual, Theo made the right decision, at least for this year. The future is impossible to see, of course, but this year the trade seems to have worked out very well.
You have to consider both the trade and the comparison of Hanley and Gonzo to answer the question. In the trade, Boston got Beckett and Lowell for Hanley and miscellaneous considerations - basically for Hanley. Thanks to the addition of both Lowell and Gonzalez, Boston's previously shoddy defense (and it wasn't just Edgar Renteria, this is a long-term trend with Boston) has been upgraded to one of the best in the majors.
Offensively, Hanley and Gonzo are very close. 3HRs, 19RBIs, 13 walks, 31K's, .310OBP, .354 slugging, and .260 average vs. 3HRs, 20RBIs, 25 walks, 62 K's, .337OBP, .402 slugging, and 269 average, with Hanley being the latter and Gonzo the former. Obviously these stats are very close. Hanley's .337OBP jumps out at you, as does his .402 slugging percentage, but so do his 62 K's. Offensively, both these players are fairly average. The biggest difference really is that Hanley has 20 stolen bases for the Marlins; Gonzo has one.
But that's more than worth it when you compare their defense. Gonzo has been a key part of that aforementioned excellent defense in Boston this season; he has one error and a .995 fielding percentage on the year. Hanley, meanwhile, has been making a lot of rookie mistakes down in south Florida. He has ten errors son the season, and a .965 fielding percentage.
So, Alex Gonzalez has much better defense and similar offensive statistics, though he's clearly not as good a baserunner. In comparison to last year, his offensive stats aren't far off Edgar Renteria, and his defense is worlds better. In comparison to the main alternative Boston would have had this year, the same applies. All in all, Gonzo's slagging offense - which has been on the uptick of late - is better than graduating Hanley would have been, and the addition of Lowell and Beckett makes the trade more than worth it.
Date
Sat 06/24/06, 2:23 pm EST
