How the Gio trade went down

December, 23, 2011

12/23/11

9:51

AM ET

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

All week, the word around the campfire was that the Oakland Athletics were going to trade left-hander Gio Gonzalez. And sure enough, general manager Billy Beane pulled the trigger Thursday, sending the 26-year-old to the Washington Nationals, along with minor league righty Robert Gilliam, for right-handers A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, lefty Tom Milone and catcher Derek Norris.

I've been monitoring these trade talks for a while and spoken to a number of people who were involved. Here's a breakdown of how this deal was consummated:

For starters, Beane did not have a shortage of suitors. The Boston Red Sox came on very strong at the end, while the Toronto Blue Jays also made a push. Boston's offer was more position-player heavy, while Toronto was willing to part only with low-level prospects with a lot of risk.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ESPN The Magazine subscribers

Activate your Insider account »
Need more information?

View Insider Benefits »

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.