MLB Trade Talk: Why the Boston Red Sox Should Not Deal for Gio Gonzalez

It has been reported recently that the Boston Red Sox have been a front-runner in the Gio Gonzalez sweepstakes. After the Sox pitching staff collapsed last September, it's no surprise that they'd make a run for one of the hottest young pitchers in baseball.

Gonzalez posted a 16-12 record with a 3.12 ERA and 197 strikeouts on an Oakland team that just won 74 games, making him great trade bait.

It may make sense for the Red Sox to go after a young southpaw who will bolster the rotation and cover up the inconsistencies of John Lackey and Josh Beckett, but who's to say that Gonzalez won't become another a bust?

As great as Gonzalez has been, let's not forget that he pitches in Oakland. The Coliseum in Oakland has the most spacious foul territory, and this gives pitchers a big advantage. Foul balls that go into crowds at other stadiums are outs in Oakland.

One can't deny the Coliseum's friendliness to pitchers as a major reason why Oakland pitchers have been successful recently. Despite not making the playoffs since 2006, the A's have finished at the top of the American League in pitching regularly.

Last season, they finished third in the AL in ERA. The year prior to that they led the league in the category.

If Gonzalez gets traded to the Red Sox, he'll have to play in hitter-friendly Fenway Park. The legendary park is even friendlier to right-handed hitters, who have the advantage of hitting the Green Monster. Gonzalez, who is a lefty, will be at a major disadvantage.

As awesome as Gonzalez's numbers look, his numbers are fairly pedestrian when on the road. He has a lifetime record of 17-18 with a 4.32 ERA away from Oakland. 

This just shows that getting Gonzalez doesn't assure automatic dominance for the Sox pitching staff. 

It's also important to note that in the report linked above, numerous teams are after Gonzalez. This just means that the asking price for him is high because plenty of teams are demanding his services. It's not going to be worth it for the Red Sox to mortgage their future in order to get a pitcher who has been average when displaced from Oakland.

The pursuit for Gonzalez is a byproduct of a huge case of overreaction that took place in New England when the Red Sox blew up in September. Plenty of people forget that this team had one of the best records in the league in late August.

The Red Sox already have a solid rotation. Lester and Beckett ate up innings last year and pitched effectively up until their September collapse. Lester struck out 182 hitters, and Beckett's ERA was at 2.89 even after the implosion.

Combined, they won a total of 28 games.

Clay Buchholz also pitched well, but was hurt for most of the year. 

Let's not forget that Lester, Beckett and Buchholz put up these numbers in the pressure cooker that is Boston. They're always under a microscope at Fenway, and fans have high expectations for them. 

Gonzalez, on the other hand, pitches his games in a city where games are so sparsely attended that a major portion of the upper deck has a tarp on it. There is no pressure in Oakland. It's calm. Fans and media aren't going to bash a pitcher if he doesn't perform well.

Boston, on the contrary, is a city where great players struggle mightily. Just ask Lackey and Carl Crawford. 

The risks are so much higher than the rewards with Gonzalez. He may succumb to pressure. He may fall victim to the hitter-friendly ballpark that is Fenway. He may just not be as good as we think he is because he pitches in Oakland.

The Red Sox shouldn't give up any future prospects in order to land Gonzalez. It's just not worth it.

Besides, the Red Sox's starting three is already solid. Do they need more depth in their rotation? 

Definitely. But that doesn't mean they should mortgage their future. There are plenty of solid four or five guys available in the market. The Sox should pursue them instead.