Oakland Athletics: Should A's Try To Sell High on Gio Gonzalez?

At the beginning of the year some experts picked the Oakland Athletics to make a deep playoff run.

Now, sitting five games back of the Texas Rangers, it looks like Oakland’s chances of making the playoffs this year are slim.

With the trade deadline a little over a month away, teams are looking to buy or sell.

One of the teams looking to sell might be the Oakland Athletics, and one superstar is on every team’s wish list: Gio Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is considered one of the best young pitchers in the game. At only 25 years old, he still has a lot of time to learn and develop other pitches.

Gonzalez debuted in 2008 and has a career record of 28-25, a 4.07 ERA and has struck out 396 batters. He has improved every year. In 2008, he had a 7.68 ERA; in 2009, 5.75 ERA; a 3.23 ERA in 2010, and 2.69 this year.

Although Gonzalez only has a 6-5 record this season, his win total doesn’t show how productive a pitcher he has been. Gonzalez has gone five or more innings in all of his 14 starts this season. The most earned runs he has given up in a start is four, and he ranks 13th in the American League in strikeouts at 84.

In the past, the Athletics have built their franchise on pitching and speed. This year has been the same strategy, but management is learning that in order to win, getting a big-time slugger is necessary.

The Athletics have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. In a seven-game series, no one would want to face Gio Gonzalez, Brett Anderson or Trevor Cahill on the mound.

With that said, the question is finally answered: Gio Gonzalez should not be traded this year.

The Athletics have the core components to a make a championship team, but as previously stated, they still need a slugger. Hideki Matsui is not working out, but there are a lot of hitters available next year like Prince Fielder or Ryan Ludwick. Right now, Coco Crisp has the highest batting average on the team at .262. That’s not good at all. If they want to improve, they need hitting.

Gio Gonzalez eats up innings and gives up very few runs, and he also is very good against teams in the Athletics' division, the American League West. Gonzalez is 3-1 with his only loss coming against the Angels.

If a deal were in the making, the Athletics are in the perfect stage to sell Gonzalez because of his value, but they would have to get a hitter. The Red Sox do not have a fifth starter and Gonzalez would be a perfect fit. Acquiring outfielder Josh Reddick from the Red Sox would be a great add, but the Red Sox would have to add another minor leaguer to get Gonzalez.

Patience is a virtue and sometimes things have to play themselves out. The Athletics are coming off a three-game sweep of their rivals, the Giants, and new manager Bob Melvin seems to have sparked the team.

Being five games out of first place is not too bad. The American League West is a pretty weak division, so anything is possible. Gonzalez and the A’s have the tools to be great, so don’t throw them away.