In exchange for Gonzalez, a 26-year-old who has won 15-plus games and thrown 200-plus innings in each of the past two seasons, the Nationals are giving up three pitching prospects — right-handers Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, and lefty Tommy Milone — plus catching prospect Derek Norris. Peacock, Cole and Norris ranked third, fourth and ninth, respectively, in Baseball America’s recent list of the Nationals’ top prospects.

The package was less than the one the Nationals were willing to send to the Royals for Greinke a year ago: That deal would have cost the Nationals at least one from a group that included Zimmermann, closer Drew Storen or second baseman Danny Espinosa, plus additional prospects.

At the same time, Gonzalez, a first-time all-star in 2011, is not without flaws. A power arm who ranked fourth in the American League in 2011 with 8.78 strikeouts per nine innings, he also led the league in walks, with 91, a year after finishing second with 90. It also appears he benefited from pitching in Oakland’s cavernous Coliseum the past four seasons, recording a career ERA of 3.56 at home versus 4.32 on the road.

The trade was the fourth of Gonzalez’s career since the Chicago White Sox drafted him as a sandwich-round pick (38th overall) in 2004.

Still, the Nationals, whose offseason to this point had been marked by high-profile misses and low-profile hits, suddenly have taken a major step in their quest to contend for a playoff spot as soon as 2012. With Strasburg, Zimmermann and Gonzalez atop their rotation, the Nationals have three young, controllable power arms that could form the nucleus of a formidable pitching staff for the next four-plus years. (Gonzalez doesn’t become arbitration-eligible until 2013 and is under team control until 2015.)

“Whatever team is willing to . . . put me in their rotation,” Gonzalez said Wednesday in an appearance on MLB Network Radio, regarding a possible trade, “I’d be more than happy to shine like a star there.”

The Nationals reportedly also are receiving a throw-in, pitching prospect Rob Gilliam, in the trade. A 24-year-old right-hander, Gilliam went 12-7 with a 5.04 ERA for high-Class A Stockton (Calif.) in 2011.

The trade, which cost the Nationals dearly in prospects but relatively little in dollars, is certain to renew speculation that the Nationals will make a run at free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, whose price tag could hit $25 million per year for seven or more years, in an all-out effort to contend next season with Philadelphia, Atlanta and Florida in the suddenly ultra-competitive NL East division.

Oct. 26
	   1911 -- Danny Murphy of Philadelphia had four hits as the Athletics beat the New York Giants 13-2 to win the World Series in six games. The A's put the game out of reach with a seven-run seventh inning.
	   1985 -- Dane Iorg's two-run single and a disputed call by first base umpire Don Denkinger in the ninth inning gave the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals and tied the World Series after six games. St. Louis scored its run on a bloop single by Brian Harper in the eighth inning.
	   1997 -- Edgar Renteria(notes) ended one of the most thrilling Game 7s, singling with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Florida Marlins their first World Series championship with a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians. The 5-year-old Marlins became the youngest expansion team to win a championship.
	   1998 -- The New York Mets announced All-Star catcher Mike Piazza agreed to a seven-year, $91 million contract, the richest deal in baseball history.
	   2000 -- The New York Yankees became the first team in more than a quarter-century to win three straight World Series championships, beating the New York Mets 4-2. The Yankees matched the Oakland Athletics' three in a row from 1972-74, and won their fourth title in five years.
	   2005 -- Jermaine Dye(notes) singled home the only run in the eighth, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 1-0 to win their first World Series title in 88 years. Chicago's sweep, its eighth straight postseason win and 16th in 17 games overall, made it the second team to go through the postseason 11-1 since the extra round of playoffs was added in 1995, joining the 1999 Yankees.
	   2008 -- Joe Blanton(notes) became the first pitcher in 34 years to homer in the World Series, Ryan Howard(notes) drove in five runs and the Philadelphia Phillies romped over the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 to move within one win of their first championship since 1980.
	   Today's birthday: Francisco Liriano(notes) 28.

(Sports Network) – Rookie lefty Ernest Teaford aims for a third straight
victory as a starter tonight when his Kansas City Royals play the second of
three weekend games with the Chicago White Sox.

Teaford, a 27-year-old, debuted this season as a reliever for the Royals and
appeared in 23 consecutive games out of the bullpen before getting a start on
Sept. 11 in Seattle.

He tossed five scoreless innings in a 2-1 Kansas City victory, then got win
No. 2 after allowing one run on four hits in six innings of a 10-3 defeat of
the White Sox on Sept. 17 in Kansas City.

He walked two and struck out four in the outing, lowering his earned run
average as a starter to 0.81. His combined ERA for the season is 2.54 in 39
innings.

On Friday, Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Alcides Escobar and Jeff Francoeur
each homered as the Royals hammered the White Sox, 11-1.

Bruce Chen (12-8) allowed one run on two hits and a walk through eight innings
in the Royals’ ninth win in 11 games.

“He made some adjustments and threw a very, very good ball game,” Royals
manager Ned Yost said.

Paul Konerko homered and Dayan Viciedo singled to record the White Sox’s only
hits.

Zach Stewart (2-6) allowed nine runs on 12 hits in four-plus innings as
Chicago lost for the 10th time in 13 games.

“They’re a good hitting team and they’re not a selfish team,” Stewart said of
the Royals.

The White Sox reply with lefty John Danks, who’s undefeated in 11 career
starts against Kansas City, including a win on Sept. 18.

In that game, a 10-5 triumph at the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium, Danks scattered
10 hits and allowed three earned runs in six innings.

He also beat the Royals on Aug. 14 with six innings of four-hit, two-run ball
for a 6-2 victory.

This will be the 150th big-league start for Danks, who’s 4-4 this season in 13
outings at home.

Kansas City is 10-6 versus Chicago this season.

The Sports Network

By Matthew Hays

– Staff Writer

Follow , and

Like SB Nation Kansas City on Facebook.

Sep 18, 2011 – All good things must end.

The seven game winning streak of the Kansas City Royals has now been swept under the rug as the Chicago White Sox held off a sweep, doubling up on the Royals 10-5 Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Chicago got off to a solid start, taking a 4-0 lead on the Royals by the middle of the fourth inning. Royals starter Bruce Chen labored through 5.1 innings in his start, allowing four runs on nine hits. He threw 98 pitches before giving way to Louis Coleman and the bullpen.

Kansas City finally mustered some runs of their own in the fifth inning when Yamaico Navarro singled to score Mike Moustakas, and then Billy Butler grounded into a fielder’s choice to score catcher Brayan Pena.

Kansas City would draw even closer in the sixth inning against White Sox starter John Danks, as Jeff Francoeur reached on a Gordon Beckham error. Francoeur would then steal second and score on a Johnny Giavotella triple. After a Moustakas ground out, Giavotella would be thrown out at the plate on a Pena fielder’s choice ground ball.

Danks moved his mark to 7-12 as he threw six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits. Chen fell to 11-8 overall with the loss.

Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski would hit back-to-back solo home runs in the seventh off Coleman to stretch the Chicago lead back to 6-3. Pierzynski would again go deep in the next inning, this time a three-run shot off Jesse Chavez to ultimately put the game out of reach.

Chavez allowed four runs on three hits in one inning pitched. He’d also walked two, while striking out three. 

Kansas City scored once in the bottom of the ninth on a Giavotella infield single, scoring Eric Hosmer.

The Royals and White Sox both had 15 hits on the day, but Kansas City was ineffective at bringing runners around to score. Hosmer and Giavotella lead the team with three hits each on the day.

Kansas City falls to 67-87 overall and has an off day on Monday before taking on the American League Central Division Champion Detroit Tigers at The K for a brief two game series. It’s the last home series of the year. Luis Mendoza will get his first start of the year Tuesday, facing Detroit’s Brad Penny.

Read More: Bruce Chen (P – KAN), Paul Konerko (1B – CWS), John Danks (P – CWS), Billy Butler (DH – KAN), A.J. Pierzynski (C – CWS), Jeff Francoeur (RF – KAN), Brayan Pena (C – KAN), Luis Mendoza (P – KAN), Jesse Chavez (P – KAN), Gordon Beckham (2B – CWS), Yamaico Navarro (3B – KAN), Mike Moustakas (3B – KAN), Louis Coleman (P – KAN), Eric Hosmer (1B – KAN), Johnny Giavotella (2B – KAN), Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox

Follow , and

Like SB Nation Kansas City on Facebook.

Do you like this story?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Luke Hochevar has made his final start of the season, the third Kansas City Royals starter to be shut down in September.

Manager Ned Yost said Thursday that Hochevar — who has thrown a career-high 198 innings, 90 more than last season when he missed 2 1/2 months with an elbow injury — would not pitch again this year for “his protection and his health.”

Hochevar finished 11-11 with a 4.88 ERA.

Yost said left-hander Jeff Francis’ start Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox would be his last this season. Rookie left-hander Danny Duffy was shut down after a Sept. 6 start because of his workload.

Right-handers Luis Mendoza and Vin Mazzaro, who are pitching for Triple-A Omaha in the PCL championship series, will likely move into the Kansas City rotation.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Luke Hochevar has made his final start of the season, the third Kansas City Royals starter to be shut down in September.

Manager Ned Yost said Thursday that Hochevar — who has thrown a career-high 198 innings, 90 more than last season when he missed 2 1/2 months with an elbow injury — would not pitch again this year for “his protection and his health.”

Hochevar finished 11-11 with a 4.88 ERA.

Yost said left-hander Jeff Francis’ start Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox would be his last this season. Rookie left-hander Danny Duffy was shut down after a Sept. 6 start because of his workload.

Right-handers Luis Mendoza and Vin Mazzaro, who are pitching for Triple-A Omaha in the PCL championship series, will likely move into the Kansas City rotation.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.