Gio Gonzalez to Nationals for four former Suns

The Washington Nationals obtained the proven arm that they had been looking to anchor their starting rotation in Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland Athletics.
Gonzalez steps into the rotation with Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman in what suddenly looks to be a possible contender for the wild card or even the NL East with another addition of a quality bat.
The lefthander has won 31 games over the past two seasons with a bad team and looks like the perfect fit for the Nationals

The Athletics,who are in full blown players for prospects mode,have now traded their two top starters from last season (Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill) in moves that they hope to will stock their system and play cheaply for them as soon as this season for a few of the new acquisitions.
All four of the new members of the Oakland organization have played at Hagerstown for the Suns at various times.
Pitchers Brad Peacock and Tom Milone will both have excellent chances to start the season in the Oakland rotation,catcher Derek Norris will either try AAA Sacramento or attempt to master AA at Midland after a mixed review for AA Harrisburg last season and pitcher A.J.Cole will likely start at High A Stockton in the hitters paradise that is the California league.

Washington kept their top two prospects,but traded the pitchers that were closest to the bigs from the system and sent two other future prospects as well.
Oakland did not add a player that is older than 24,so they at least did not waste time with AAAA types that are filled with question marks.
Brad Peacock was terrible in Hagerstown,I thought I had a better chance of pitching in the majors than Peacock,but there is no denying his numbers in 2011.
I know many that are higher on him than I,but perhaps that is because my memory is of the awful Hagerstown Sun,not the dominant pitcher at both double and triple A last season.
Tom Milone is the type of pitcher that gives nothing away,looks like he is throwing beach balls and at the end of the game,you have a "comfortable collar" in the box score.
Milone's lack of outstanding stuff tends to underrate him in the eyes of scouts,but I can see Milone compiling quite a solid career in the middle to back of a teams rotation..
I was higher on Derek Norris at this time last year than I am now.
Norris has above average power,but he swings and misses often (over 200 strikeouts combined over the past two seasons) and his contact has fallen at an alarming rate.
Honestly,I thought Washington might have been in a hurry with Norris in 2011 starting him in Harrisburg,when he really had not mastered Potomac.
Norris had young catchers in front of him (Wilson Ramos,Jesus Flores),so Washington was dealing from a position of depth.
Norris does throw well and there is always a space for catchers with plus power,so I have not given up on him yet..
I really liked A.J.Cole last season and think he has the highest upside of the four prospects in the deal.
108 strikeouts in 80 innings will solidify prospect status,but I also liked his smooth delivery and the way the ball comes out of his hand.
As an overall prospect,I like Cole the best of the bunch,although he has most risk between his age (20 in 2012) and his being still in the lower levels of the system.

To me,it looks like both teams accomplished what they needed to and looks like a trade that both sides should be pleased with.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Charles Krupa