Is there an alternative to trading Adrian Gonzalez?

With the Padres playing so well, we need to start thinking about other possibilities.  Trading Adrian this year is going to be impossible if they keep playing so well.  If we are still in it at the deadline, the Padres will be forced to hold on to Adrian unless they are willing to face fan mutiny.  Based on the attendance up to this point, that will not be a possibility.  Do we trade him in the offseason? 

If we make the playoffs or even finish strong, we may face the same problem.  I don’t think the Padres can afford to go backwards unless they fall apart this year before the deadline.  So what can they do? 

Why not just keep him through next year?  This team has shown they can play with the other teams in the division and guys like Blanks, Venable, and Latos are only going to get better.  Jed Hoyer was brought here to build this team from the ground up.  Why not make a run at the division for the next two years and collect the draft picks?  Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell will both likely be type-A free agents meaning we would get 4 additional picks in the top 50.  I would love to see what Hoyer could do with 5 of the top 50 picks in the 2012 draft.  I would also like to see what Adrian Gonzalez and a seasoned Kyle Blanks can do in the middle of the lineup next year.  We don’t have glaring holes like we did last year and we have some talented young player getting close to the big leagues.  It’s a win-win situation.