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WASHINGTON -- Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has kept his eye on Gio Gonzalez for the last decade or so. Bob Uecker Jersey . Now, the left-hander is a member of Rizzos starting rotation. Capping trade talks that began about a month ago, the Athletics and Nationals completed a six-player swap Friday that sends Gonzalez from Oakland to Washington, where he joins a promising pitching staff that already included right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann. "Ive known him since he was in high school in the Miami area. This is a guy I followed for years. I really like the way he competes," Rizzo said on a conference call. "I call him, in a good way, a sore loser." Oakland gets four players in the deal: catcher Derek Norris, right-handers A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, and left-hander Tommy Milone. The Nationals also received minor league right-hander Robert Gilliam, who went 12-7 with a 5.04 earned-run average and 156 strikeouts for class-A Vancouver this year. As general manager Billy Beane said he nearly took another offer but in the end preferred the prospects Washington sent. "I told everyone I spoke to, wed leverage one team against the other," Beane said. "We were giving up a pitcher, and the ability to acquire three very good major league prospects who were pitchers swung it for us." The 26-year-old Gonzalez went 16-12 last season -- a career high for wins -- with a 3.12 ERA in 32 starts and was selected to his first All-Star game. He has reached 200 innings the past two seasons. "He brings a presence in our rotation. Hes had success. Hes been a workhorse. Hes very, very young," Rizzo said. "Gives us a young core of starting pitchers at the major league level that really is in the realm of something weve never had here before." ESPN.com first reported the agreement Thursday and Gonzalez confirmed to The Associated Press that the deal was in place, pending a physical. Gonzalez will be slotted between Strasburg and Zimmermann, two hard throwers who have come back from reconstructive elbow surgery and are considered cornerstones of the Nationals attempt to finally become contenders. After finishing last in the NL East in three consecutive seasons, Washington went 80-81 and wound up in third place in 2011. "We think that were vastly improved over last year," Rizzo said. At seasons end, the GM made clear his top priorities this off-season were adding a top-line starting pitcher and an outfielder. The Nationals are still in the market for a "long-term, permanent fit" in centre field, Rizzo said. After failing to land free-agent pitcher Mark Buehrle, who signed with the Miami Marlins, the Nationals "stepped up our efforts" to improve their rotation, Rizzo said, which led to trade talks with the As. Beane is in rebuilding mode, having previously dealt starter Trevor Cahill to Arizona to stockpile more talent in the farm system. The As went 74-88 last season and havent posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since 2006. Beane said he is making moves in hopes of being able to move into a new stadium in San Jose in a few years. He said he expects to hear soon from commissioner Bud Selig whether the team can build a new ballpark some 64 kilometres south in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County. "For us to compete, were going to have to have a new stadium," Beane said. "I dont think there was a move we could have made that would have put us in position to compete with Anaheim and Texas and what they have." Gonzalez has been the subject of trade talks all off-season, with many teams interested in adding a proven starter. "Hes won a lot of games on a mediocre club," Rizzo said about Gonzalez. "Sixteen wins on the Oakland As last year was quite a feat." Peacock and Milone made their major league debuts in September, Norris hit 20 homers at double-A Harrisburg, and the 19-year-old Cole went 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA at class-A Hagerstown. "To acquire a player like (Gonzalez), you need to give up some painful players in return, and weve done just that, four players that are near and dear to our hearts because we drafted them," Rizzo said. NOTES: In other moves, the As designated C Landon Powell and OF Jai Miller for assignment. ------ AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in Oakland, Calif., and AP Sports Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report. Chipper Jones Jersey . -- One game. After a season featuring more losses than wins, thats all that separates the New York Knicks and the final post-season spot in the weak Eastern Conference standings. Brandon Beachy Authentic Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, I love the column, keep up the good work! It doesnt make me more sympathetic to bad calls by the refs, but it sure explains a lot! On Tuesday, Zach Bogosian and Lars Eller just went off to the Sin Bin together - Bogosian for interference and Eller for embellishment.LONDON -- Just as it did last weekend at Anfield, Liverpool got off to a flying start against Arsenal. But this time, the Gunners weathered the storm. Arsene Wengers team was on the ropes in the early stages of a lively FA Cup tie, until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a goal against the run of the play. His strike shifted the momentum in the hosts favour and he set up another for Lukas Podolski as Arsenal won 2-1 to advance to the quarterfinals on Sunday. Following their 5-1 thrashing at Anfield in the Premier League, when they conceded four goals in the opening 20 minutes, the Gunners got their revenge after surviving another sustained period of Liverpool pressure in the second half. They will next face Everton at home after the Toffees booked their place with a 3-1 defeat of Swansea, while Manchester City will face Cup holder Wigan in a rematch of last years final. "The intensity of the performance pleased me, I am very proud of the way we responded to the huge defeat that we had last week," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, chasing his first piece of silverware since the 2005 FA Cup. Liverpool again looked the stronger team in the early stages. A superb through ball from Steven Gerrard found Daniel Sturridge, but the England strikers low shot was parried away by keeper Lukasz Fabianski. Luis Suarezs flicked pass then picked out Sturridges run behind Per Mertesacker, but Fabianski forced him to shoot wide. "I thought the best team lost. I thought the very least we deserved was a replay," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "We probably should have been 2-0 up inside those first six or seven minutes. Going forward we were outstanding. Im disappointed with the goals, the first one in particular was just a long ball into the box." Though Arsenal struggled to keep the ball, Oxlade-Chamberlain put the home side ahead after Liverpool failed to clear a free kick. Yaya Sanogo, making his first start for Arsenal, saw his shot blocked by Gerrard but the ball rebounded for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who confidently slotted home from close range past Brad Jones in the 16th minute. Arsenal was sharper on the ball after the goal but Liverpool remained dangerous on the break, with Suarez combining well with Sturridge on a swift counterattack. Raheem Sterling then showed his speed and technique down the left flank, rounding Carl Jenkinson before his tired effort from a narrow anglle was diverted away for a corner. Greg Maddux Jersey. Suarez had two more opportunities to put his team level before halftime but Fabianski, having a superb game, dived well to deny his low shot before the Uruguay striker missed the target with a chip from the edge of the box. Suarez went close immediately after the interval when he almost beat Fabianski with a low shot that forced the keeper into a fine reflex save. Arsenal doubled its lead on the next move, a slick-passing counterattack concluded by Podolski, who scored with a clean finish from Oxlade-Chamberlains cutback in the 47th. Arsenal then had a good spell of possession but, after Suarez unleashed a powerful volley over the bar and Mesut Ozil threatened Jones with a low shot, the Uruguay striker won a penalty when Podolski clumsily clipped his ankle in the box. Gerrard coolly converted from the spot to pull one back, sending Fabianski the wrong way in the 59th minute. Suarez was jeered by Arsenal supporters when he went down after a hefty collision with Oxlade-Chamberlain in the box with 26 minutes to go. Referee Howard Webb ignored the visitors appeals for another penalty. Substitute Santi Cazorla should have restored Arsenals two-goal lead in the 73rd when he thumped a volley far over the bar while unmarked from the edge of the box. Daniel Agger had Liverpools best chance to make it 2-2 in the 87th minute, but his header following a free kick from Gerrard just drifted over the top. At Goodison Park, substitute Steven Naismith scored a goal and won a penalty. With the score level at 1-1, Everton manager Roberto Martinez opted for experience when he made a double substitution on the stroke of the hour, with Naismith and Leon Osman replacing Lacina Traore and Ross Barkley. The move paid off as Naismith took full advantage of Neil Taylors back pass to slide the ball into the bottom corner in the 65th minute. Everton was then awarded a penalty after Jazz Richards fouled Naismith, with Leighton Baines converting. Traore had put Everton ahead, back-heeling into the net from close range in the fourth minute before Jonathan de Guzman equalized. Chris Porter scored twice in stoppage time as Sheffield United also advanced by beating Nottingham Forest 3-1. There will be a non-Premier League side in the semifinals as third-tier United will either take on second-division sides Sheffield Wednesday or Charlton Athletic in the last eight. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '