MVN - Most Valuable Network

Haren’s Yield: Carlos Gonzalez

In this, the first of six profiles of the players that the A’s got in return for Dan Haren, I’ll profile Carlos Gonzalez. Soon to come: Brett Anderson, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland, Chris Carter, and Greg Smith.

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Carlos Gonzalez - OF - 22 years old - AA/AAA in 2007

500 at-bats, .288/.336/.478/.814, 86 RBI

38 2B, 17 HR, 38 BB, 109 SO, 10 SB, 5 CS

Arguably the “centerpiece” of the six player package that the A’s received in the Haren deal, Gonzalez is a five-tool prospect with a left-handed power bat and a strong arm. He runs well, and his overall minor league line of .286/.341/.476/.817 is excellent. I also like his line drive percentage of nearly 20%, suggesting a strong contact hitter — when he doesn’t whiff. That’s one of two things that bug me about Gonzalez.

First, his strikeout rate is a bit high, at about 20% of his plate appearances throughout the minors. Players who strike out as often as he does sometimes have trouble translating minor league success to the majors.

Second, there are some questions about Gonzalez’s “make-up”. No, not that kind of makeup. While self-confidence can be key to a prospect advancing, too much of it can indeed be a bad thing. According to John Manuel, of Baseball America, Gonzalez has a habit of “big-leagueing it” in the minors, acting as if he’s better than others. Manuel, in an interview with Holden Kushner of XM Radio, said he had doubts as to how well Gonzalez would adjust to the big leagues with his attitude.

However, Gonzalez is still very much a top prospect. Baseball America ranked him the No. 1 player in the Arizona system for good reason. He immediately becomes Oakland’s top outfield prospect, ahead of Jermaine Mitchell and Corey Brown — two other young five-tool corner outfielders. Gonzalez is where we thought we’d see Javier Herrera this past season, before his Tommy John surgery and PED suspension set him back.

It’s not only me that thinks highly of him, of course. Many others agree that Gonzalez is a great acquisition.

FoxSports.com’s Dayn Perry has this to say:

The prize of the haul is Gonzalez. He’s got a proven ability to hit for average, and he’s got lots of raw power. Last season, as a 21-year-old toiling in the pitcher-friendly Southern League, Gonzalez batted .286 and tallied an extra-base hit every 8.8 at bats. He also boasts good range in right and a cannon arm. All in all, he’s one of the best hitting prospects out there.

ESPN’s Keith Law tempers the outlook, however:

Gonzalez is a high-ceiling prospect whose tools are average or better across the board, but his game is undisciplined and he’s a high-risk proposition. He has a clean, simple swing and takes a short path to the ball, and he shows above-average power in batting practice that hasn’t fully translated into games yet. His approach, however, is poor; he doesn’t recognize offspeed pitches or adjust his approach by the situation, and while he’s young (he just turned 22 in October), he’s getting to the point where he should be making at least some of these adjustments.

Rotoworld’s take on Gonzalez:

He doesn’t walk nearly as much as the A’s like and he struggles mightily in lefty-lefty matchups, but he has the kind of bat speed that makes scouts drool and he should prove to be a very good defensive right fielder. If everything breaks right, he’ll be a star. The A’s will want him to spend most of 2008 in Triple-A improving his approach.

Right now, Gonzalez is hitting .266/.342/.392/.733 through 143 at-bats in the Venezuelan Winter League. He’s playing for the Aguilas del Zulia, alongside fellow A’s prospects Henry A. Rodriguez and Leonardo Martinez.

Gonzalez should begin the year at AAA Sacramento. The Pacific Coast League isn’t new to him, as he hit .310/.396/.500/.896 in 42 at-bats with the Tuscon Sidewinders last season. By 2009, Oakland’s starting outfield could be Nick Swisher, Chris Denorfia and Carlos Gonzalez — a combination that should combine to produce about .285/.360/.450/.810 with a ton of doubles and 60+ home runs.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 15th, 2007 at 3:18 pm and is filed under Prospects, Trades. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.