Adrian Gonzalez

Although the Red Sox began the 2011 season with an embarrassing three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers, the Sox still have plenty of time to validate the media’s enormous expectations and secure a playoff spot.

However, in order to emerge victorious from a competitive American League East, the Sox must step back from the spotlight and focus on winning each individual game.

Well, now that most of our NCAA brackets resemble the Libyan Air Force, we can move onto something that can provide some much needed optimism: fantasy baseball. What would the start of the season be without a rankings list?

Without question, first base is the deepest position for everyday players, and you should expect the top seven or eight first basemen to be drafted in the first two rounds of your 12-team league.

Some players on our list played 10-19 games at first base in 2010, which means the player may or may not qualify as a first baseman in your league. For example, Yahoo! leagues require a player to appear in at least ten games at that position in the previous year. Whereas for ESPN leagues, the requirement is 20-plus games.

In our newest installment of the Draft Day Debate, we look at two of the top first basemen, Joey Votto and Adrian Gonzalez. 

Votto is coming off an MVP year while Gonzalez seems set for his best year yet as he enters the Red Sox offensive powerhouse. While undoubtedly fantasy owners will choose Albert Pujols first off the board and first for 1B, who will be the better pick as the second 1B to go? You decide...

In auctions, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera and Joey Votto are all going to cost you a pretty penny.

Pujols has averaged a price tag of $58.2 throughout the Yahoo! universe, while Cabrera and Votto have found themselves on either side of $50. 

The following are a group of players who pack a solid and consistent power punch in the middle of their respective lineups: Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, Marx Teixeira and Prince Fielder.

Depending on the auction, these four go anywhere from the low $40 range, to as high as $50.

John Boggs, the agent for Red Sox 1B Adrian Gonzalez, arrived in Fort Myers yesterday afternoon. He didn’t waste any time getting down to business, as he met earlier today with Theo Epstein and Ben Cherington to discuss a contract extension for A-Gon.

Marco Scutaro was the "highlight" signing of 2009's offseason. For those who are true fans and/or have played the game, you know that he was not the big solution. In fact, he should never have been signed in the first place. He is simply overpaid and overrated. If the Red Sox did want to sign him it should have been at a much cheaper annual salary. 

Every year, there seems to be some trendy prediction that everyone loves to make before the season. For example, last year, everybody (myself included) seemed to think the Mariners were looking like a playoff team. Or the year before that, when several people were convinced that the Royals had a shot to be that year’s Rays.

Adrian Gonzalez is one of the top first basemen in baseball. He is just entering his prime at 28 years old and has surpassed 30 home runs and 100 RBI in each of the last four seasons—an accomplishment reached in Petco Park, a pitcher’s paradise.

Gonzalez is poised for a monster season in Fenway Park’s cozy confines with protection and run-producing opportunities he never had in San Diego.

Yet his contract is still an issue. While much of the groundwork for an extension was done before the Red Sox dealt for Gonzalez, nothing is in writing as of yet.

During this last off-season, the Red Sox made major moves to put the team in a better position as World Series contenders. 

The release of third baseman Adrian Beltre and the signing of all-star outfielder Carl Crawford headline an array of changes in Boston.

However, none may be bigger than the acquisition of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres.

Gonzalez brings a powerful bat and reliable glove to the Red Sox along with a reputation as one of the league’s premier first basemen.