After seemingly hitting some road blocks in the midst of a dramatic day of offseason maneuvering, the Red Sox have reportedly finalized the trade for Adrian Gonzalez.
Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman tweeted Sunday evening that Gonzalez "is now a Red Sox." The two sides will reportedly continue to work on a long-term extension into the spring while monitoring the condition of Gonzalez's surgically repaired shoulder, but the parameters for an extension are in place.
Word of the trade, which will send three Red Sox prospects to San Diego, first surfaced Friday afternoon. By Saturday, Gonzalez was in Boston for a physical and a seat at the bargaining table. By Sunday, after the 2 p.m. deadline to hammer out an extension came and went, the deal was suddenly in peril.
That extension will have to wait, but the Sox apparently have the guy they have coveted for quite some time. Gonzalez is expected to be ready to return late in spring training, at which time it would not be a surprise to see the extension talks heat up once more.
The move turns a potentially down day into a potentially great one for Boston, which lost out on Jayson Werth when he signed a seven-year deal to join Washington.
