“Adrian has established himself as one of the great young players in the game and is a key component to our ballclub,” Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. “We are excited he's going to be in a Padres uniform for many years to come, not only because he's a quality player but also a quality person.”

Gonzalez, 24, a Chula Vista native who batted .304 with 38 doubles, 24 home runs and 82 RBI for San Diego in 2006, was named the Padres Most Valuable Player. He led the club in several offensive categories including batting average, hits, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage (.500). In four Division Series games against the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit .357 (5-for-14) with three walks and two runs scored. He recorded two 17-game hitting streaks, becoming the first Padres batter to have two hit streaks of 15 games or more in one season since Tony Gwynn in 1997.

The Padres had recently renewed Gonzalez's contract, giving him barely more than the major league minimum and causing some distress among the players for the apparent penurious attitude. Gonzalez had admitted he was upset with the front office but would continue to play hard “for the other players.”

Originally selected first overall in the 2000 draft by the Florida Marlins out of Eastlake High (where he was named the CIF and Union-Tribune Player of the Year, Gonzalez was just the second first baseman in baseball history taken with the top pick, joining Ron Blomberg (who was selected first overall by the New York Yankees in 1967). He was acquired by San Diego from the Texas Rangers in January 2006 and is the seventh No. 1 overall draft pick to appear in a Padres uniform.