Gio Gonzalez Traded to Nationals: 5 Reasons the Red Sox Missed out Big

Gio Gonzalez is no longer eligible to be traded to the Boston Red Sox. Gonzalez is now joining the Washington Nationals, as he was traded December 22 at about 3:30 p.m. EST.

The Nationals traded away Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone, A.J. Cole and Derek Norris to the Oakland Athletics for Gonzalez. These are four of the National's top 10 prospects, according to HardballChat.com.

The Red Sox missed out big time on Gonzalez when apparently they were a finalist.

However, since the asking price for him was this high, I can see why they did not pull the trigger on a deal for him.

He Is a Lefty

Gio Gonzalez, a power-throwing left-handed starter, would have pushed the Red Sox over the top as one of the top teams in the American League.

The Red Sox need two more starters to fill out their starting rotation, and one of these pitchers needs to be a lefty. The Sox had a chance with Gonzalez and they should have tried to work something out for the ace.

Youth

Gio Gonzalez is only 26 years old and is just starting to mature as a MLB pitcher. His career is in the infancy stages and who knows what could happen to make him succeed or fail at the major league level.

The Sox need a proven young starter to pitch fourth in the rotation in order to have the best pitching staff in the AL. Now they have to look elsewhere since Gonzalez is gone.

Career Against New York Yankees

Gio Gonzalez is 1-4 against the New York Yankees in five career starts against them with an ERA over 7.25.

These stats may not seem promising, but he has been able to keep the Yankees in check for multiple innings and then usually has that one bad inning that gets these starts out of hand.

The Red Sox need someone who could handle this rivalry and Gonzalez could have filled those shows if asked to do so.

Career Against Other AL East Foes

Gio Gonzalez was 3-5 in his career combined against the other teams in the AL East besides the Yankees and Red Sox. This might not seem like a good number, but the Sox could have developed Gonzalez into an AL East machine in 2012.

Gonzalez would have been the fourth starter and would not have been relied upon as much as say Jon Lester, Josh Beckett or Clay Buchholz.

He would have seen less starts and maybe been more effective against the AL East.

Price

Gonzalez is going to make a little over $400,000 in 2012 and that would have been the cheapest pitcher on the Red Sox roster, and he would be making very little compared to any other big lefty until 2016.

Maybe the Red Sox can find a way to get another power lefty, but it is really too bad they could not get another Gonzalez into Fenway Park.