Rangers History Today: A Trade With a Familiar Face
On this date in franchise history, the Texas Rangers had a logjam at first base and had to make a trade in an attempt to get some pitching.
On Jan. 6, 2006, the Rangers traded Adrián González, Terrmel Sledge and Chris Young to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and Billy Killian.
And with that, González’s short time with the Rangers was done.
The Rangers acquired González as part of a trade in June of 2003, a deal that sent pitcher Ugueth Urbina to the Florida Marlins. González made his Major League debut on April 18, 2004.
González was a first baseman, and he had the misfortune to join the franchise at a time when they had an All-Star first baseman in Mark Teixeira. González played 43 games and hit .227 in 2005, but he was a commodity to other teams because they saw him as a potential power hitter.
So, the Rangers pulled the trigger, with Eaton being the centerpiece for the Rangers. Eaton was coming off an 11-5 season with the Padres. He went 7-4 with the Rangers in 2006, making just 13 starts, and was in Philadelphia the next season.
González, meanwhile, became exactly what the Padres expected. From 2007-10, González averaged at least 30 home runs, made the National League All-Star team three times, finished as high as fourth in Most Valuable Player voting (2010) and earned three Gold Gloves. He went to Boston in 2011, where he was again an All-Star and finished seventh in American League MVP voting. He wrapped up his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018.
By then, González had 317 career home runs and 1,202 career runs batted in, with a career batting average of .280.
If the name Chris Young rings a bell, yes, that is the same Chris Young that became the ninth general manager in franchise history on Dec. 4, 2020. Before then, Young had a solid pitching career. He was an All-Star for the Padres in 2007 and posted a 3.95 ERA over a 13-year career. Young also won a World Series with the Kansas City Royals in 2015.
Are we missing a moment from this day in Texas Rangers history? We’re happy to add it. Hit us up on Twitter @PostinsPostcard and let us know what to add.
Make sure to like SI's 'Inside The Rangers' on Facebook
