Posted July 12, 201113 yr Been looking but can't find it. And I didn't know he was first overall, I knew he was our first round pick but damn. Really sucks looking back on it.
July 12, 201113 yr Its a dumb trade to win a championship? I disagree. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now?
July 12, 201113 yr At the time, Jason Stokes was a hot prospect at first base for the organization, hitting .341 with 27 homers in 2002 with Kane County. With two prospects at the same position, the Marlins probably thought one was expendable for the right price - and Adrian was probably chosen since he was further through the minors and Stokes' good season may have put him ahead of Gonzalez at the time. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now? I agree - no chance, given what eventually happened to Cabrera.
July 12, 201113 yr Its a dumb trade to win a championship? I disagree. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now? It's not like it was a straight up trade for a certain championship. To trade a future franchise hitter for half a season of a reliever is extremely risky. Who's to say the Marlins might not have won more rings with Gonzalez in the lineup for years. Who's to say if we could have gotten a different reliever and not give up Gonzalez and still won the series. Who's to say we couldn't have gotten Urbina without giving up Gonzalez. Just because we won the world series doesn't mean that's a good trade. Imagine if the Nationals make a run at the playoffs this season and they need a reliever so they trade Harper for Heath Bell, and end up winning the series. Is that definitely a good trade just because they win the series?
July 12, 201113 yr Its a dumb trade to win a championship? I disagree. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now? It's not like it was a straight up trade for a certain championship. To trade a future franchise hitter for half a season of a reliever is extremely risky. Who's to say the Marlins might not have won more rings with Gonzalez in the lineup for years. Who's to say if we could have gotten a different reliever and not give up Gonzalez and still won the series. Who's to say we couldn't have gotten Urbina without giving up Gonzalez. Just because we won the world series doesn't mean that's a good trade. Imagine if the Nationals make a run at the playoffs this season and they need a reliever so they trade Harper for Heath Bell, and end up winning the series. Is that definitely a good trade just because they win the series? Gonzalez had 2 HR in 75 games the year the Marlins traded him. The Bryce Harper comparison is beyond stupid.
July 12, 201113 yr Its a dumb trade to win a championship? I disagree. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now? It's not like it was a straight up trade for a certain championship. To trade a future franchise hitter for half a season of a reliever is extremely risky. Who's to say the Marlins might not have won more rings with Gonzalez in the lineup for years. Who's to say if we could have gotten a different reliever and not give up Gonzalez and still won the series. Who's to say we couldn't have gotten Urbina without giving up Gonzalez. Just because we won the world series doesn't mean that's a good trade. Imagine if the Nationals make a run at the playoffs this season and they need a reliever so they trade Harper for Heath Bell, and end up winning the series. Is that definitely a good trade just because they win the series? They could just as easily have dealt Stokes instead, would you still call it dumb then?
July 12, 201113 yr From Wikipedia: After a wrist injury, the Marlins felt Gonzalez would be hindered swinging the bat, so the Marlins included Gonzalez in a June 2003 trade with the Texas Rangers, along with Ryan Snare and minor leaguer Will Smith, to acquire a relief pitcher, Ugueth Urbina, to aid their championship drive. Shouldn't have been too hard to find :lol
July 12, 201113 yr Its a dumb trade to win a championship? I disagree. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now? It's not like it was a straight up trade for a certain championship. To trade a future franchise hitter for half a season of a reliever is extremely risky. Who's to say the Marlins might not have won more rings with Gonzalez in the lineup for years. Who's to say if we could have gotten a different reliever and not give up Gonzalez and still won the series. Who's to say we couldn't have gotten Urbina without giving up Gonzalez. Just because we won the world series doesn't mean that's a good trade. Imagine if the Nationals make a run at the playoffs this season and they need a reliever so they trade Harper for Heath Bell, and end up winning the series. Is that definitely a good trade just because they win the series? They could just as easily have dealt Stokes instead, would you still call it dumb then? I would have called it dumb at the time, that's for sure. I think Stokes could have been a good player, but we couldn't have foreseen how injuries decimated him before he ever made the show.
July 12, 201113 yr At the time Jason Stokes had become one of the premier prospects in baseball. Stokes was the future Gonzalez was expendable. However injuries destroyed Stokes career before it even really started. Stokes was set to be the Marlins version of Alberto Pujols..or so we thought
July 12, 201113 yr Its a dumb trade to win a championship? I disagree. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now? It's not like it was a straight up trade for a certain championship. To trade a future franchise hitter for half a season of a reliever is extremely risky. Who's to say the Marlins might not have won more rings with Gonzalez in the lineup for years. Who's to say if we could have gotten a different reliever and not give up Gonzalez and still won the series. Who's to say we couldn't have gotten Urbina without giving up Gonzalez. Just because we won the world series doesn't mean that's a good trade. Imagine if the Nationals make a run at the playoffs this season and they need a reliever so they trade Harper for Heath Bell, and end up winning the series. Is that definitely a good trade just because they win the series? YES! The entire point of playing this game is to hold up this: If you're holding that up at the end of the year, you did it. Sidenote: I find the phrasing of that sentence funny. "Just because they win the series". As if it wasn't the only truly important goal in the sport.
July 12, 201113 yr Its a dumb trade to win a championship? I disagree. Even if they had kept Gonzalez, do you really think he'd be a part of the team right now? It's not like it was a straight up trade for a certain championship. To trade a future franchise hitter for half a season of a reliever is extremely risky. Who's to say the Marlins might not have won more rings with Gonzalez in the lineup for years. Who's to say if we could have gotten a different reliever and not give up Gonzalez and still won the series. Who's to say we couldn't have gotten Urbina without giving up Gonzalez. Just because we won the world series doesn't mean that's a good trade. Imagine if the Nationals make a run at the playoffs this season and they need a reliever so they trade Harper for Heath Bell, and end up winning the series. Is that definitely a good trade just because they win the series? This is the funny part. No crystal ball, so how was anyone to know what kind of hitter and defensive 1B he was actually going to turn into. Especially seeing he was coming off a wrist injury. Actually, better questions concerning Gonzalez would be... What did Texas get from the Padres for him? How far did the Padres get with him? And what did the Padres do with him? Couple more...How many championships do the Rangers have? How many championships do the Padres have? Ever walked in through Gate G, through the big glass doors and into the "Trophy Room"? The '03 Trophy is set up in the middle, with the '97 Trophy behind the glass off to the left. 'nuff said.
July 12, 201113 yr The only sad side-note to '03 is that Oogie is now busy serving 14 years in prison in Venezuela for the attempted murder of five workers on the family ranch. I have no idea if that was a just verdict and sentence, but that's where he's at. His MLB career and '03 heroics on behalf of the Marlins are a distant memory. I'd trade an unproven and unknown Gonzales for help at a shot at a WS win any day.
July 12, 201113 yr indeed it is a tough pill to swallow but Adrian wasn't tearing things up for us yet in the minors, and there was virtually NO WAY of knowing that he would turn out this well...sometimes that's what happens when you roll the dice. Hindsight is always 20/20 and Adrian wouldn't be on the team anymore anyway as we wouldn't have been able to afford to keep him obviously. and it's not like we did poorly on our end of that deal. Urbina was nothing short of utterly dominant down the stretch that season.
July 12, 201113 yr people like to discredit the front office at any point, but look at adrian gonzalez's minor league number prior to him being traded. he was doing nothing special in the minors. we got a championship. end of discussion.
July 12, 201113 yr Can anyone name a first overall pick that was traded that early in his career, for half a season of a reliever?
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.