San Diego Padres Gold Glove first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will be a free after the 2011 season, and Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says that the reality of a a seven or eight-year contract at more than $20 million per season in that market remains a long shot.

“We can only spend what we can afford,’’ GM Jed Hoyer said. Despite the Padres being in first place, they are average just 23, 738 fans per home game – down about 1,073 from last season.

Cafardo says, “If Gonzalez reaches free agency, he would be in the same class as Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. It would be shocking to see Pujols leave St. Louis, but Fielder and Gonzalez appear headed elsewhere. Of the two, Gonzalez would be preferred because of his overall play. Fielder’s conditioning, or lack thereof, would to be a major red flag for teams.”

Right now Gonzalez is playing for his home town San Diego Padres and he’s close to family, but his stats are suffering because Petco Park is not conducive to his swing. Padres’ pinch hitter Matt Stairs says, “It would be interesting to see what he could do in Philadelphia or Cincinnati or Boston, where he’d have a lot of fun with the Wall.”