San Diego Padres: All-Time 25 Man Roster
By Jason Evans
1B- Adrian Gonzalez
In the 2005 off-season, the Padres were looking to add some pop to a team that had finished a little over .500. The Texas Rangers needed some help at the end of the game. So the teams swung a deal. The Padres sent Akinori Otsuka plus two other players for Chris Young, Terrmel Sledge and a young top prospect at first base named Adrian Gonzalez. The deal worked out rather well.
Gonzalez was born in San Diego and instantly became a fan favorite. Gonzalez hit over 20 homers every year he was a Padre and over 30 every year except for his first year. Gonzalez became your prototypical .300/30/100 first baseman, plus he was a two time Gold Glove winner and helped lead the Padres to a division title in 2006 and a playoff game for the Wild Card in 2007.
Gonzalez is third in Padres history in WAR and OPS+, seventh in average, third in OPS, second in homers, fourth in total bases and RBI, sixth in walks.
As has happened, Gonzalez became too expensive for a team with a modest payroll. Gonzalez was shipped to the Red Sox following the 2010 season for prospects. Gonzalez now faces the Padres 19 times a year as a member of the Dodgers.