One of the longest-tenured Los Angeles Dodgers players and a leader in the clubhouse, Adrian Gonzalez, was traded to the Atlanta Braves along with Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir and Charlie Culberson on Saturday in exchange for Matt Kemp.
The move made sense for both teams, as the Dodgers were able to unload more than $40 million in salary for next season, which puts them under the luxury tax threshold. Meanwhile, the Braves were able to rid themselves of Kemp’s remaining two-year, $40 million contract.
While Gonzalez was part of the trade, he will not be suiting up in a Braves uniform in 2018 as they designated him for assignment, making the veteran first baseman a free agent.
Gonzalez held a full no-trade clause, so he had to approve the trade. Considering the limited opportunities expected to come with the Dodgers, it didn’t come as much of a surprise that Gonzalez was open to being moved.
He released a statement after the trade was announced, explaining why he decided to waive the no-trade clause and thanking the Dodgers organization, via Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“My final decision was not based on playing time as I had agreed to a limited bench role. It is a way to test the free agent market and see what opportunities are out there for me so I can make the best decision moving forward for me and my family. Lifting the no-trade clause is the hardest decision I have ever made in my career due to the fact that I loved every single second being a Dodger.
I have talked through this whole process with Andrew and the Dodgers organization and they are giving me this opportunity to see if there is a better fit for me somewhere else. As the roster stands right now, there might not be a spot for me on the roster.
I want to thank the Dodgers owners for being the best owners I have ever played for. Also my coaches and teammates because with them we had an amazing five years together. And most importantly to all the Dodgers fans, no word or phrase can describe how grateful and blessed I am to have been a part of their cheers and support.
The entire Dodger nation welcomed me with open arms and took me in right away. Thank you for everything to the fans and the city of LA. You will always be in my heart. This closes a chapter for me, but not the book.”
While Gonzalez’s 2017 season was one to forget due to a herniated disc in his back that limited him to a career-low 71 games, the rest of his tenure with the Dodgers was a memorable one.
In six years with the Dodgers, he hit 101 home runs, drove in 448 runs, and was named to the National League All-Star team in 2015.
After being DFA’ed by the Braves, Gonzalez now has the ability to sign with a team of his choosing while still being paid his full salary by Atlanta.
