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Jesus that's a lot for Gio.The Athletics will send Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals for A.J. Cole, Derek Norris, Brad Peacock and Tom Milone, ESPN.com's Keith Law reports (on Twitter).
Gonzalez is under team control through 2015 and has reached the 200-inning plateau in each of the past two seasons without posting an ERA above 3.23. He'll join Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann atop an impressive-looking Nationals' rotation that also figures to include John Lannan and Chien-Ming Wang.
However, no MLB pitcher has walked more opponents than Gonzalez in the past two seasons and he's about to get expensive through arbitration (projected 2012 salary of $4.2MM). While most teams --the Nationals included -- can stomach a $4.2MM salary for an established, young left-handed starter, the A's haven't resolved their stadium situation and operate under a more limited payroll.
The Red Sox, Rangers, Marlins, Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers and Mariners were also linked to Gonzalez this offseason. Oakland's rotation will look considerably different in 2012 without Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill, two of the 40 MLB pitchers to throw 200 innings this past season.