It’s something the Red Sox have developed a great reputation for in the past decade – acquiring star players entering their prime. The former ownership did it with Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez. The current ownership added David Ortiz and Josh Beckett. And now, two years after losing out on Mark Teixeira, they’ve done it again.

Meet Adrian Gonzalez. He’s a three-time All-Star who hit .298 with 33 doubles, 31 homers and drove in 101 runs in one of the most dreadful parks for hitters in the majors. And he’s a Gold Glove first baseman.

And the best part… He’s just 28.

[Click here to hear Adrian Gonzalez looking forward to Boston in his prime.]

“I’m very excited about that,” said Gonzalez of playing in Boston entering what should be his best seasons. “It’s one of those things where you want to be in the best place and best situation possible when you’re in your prime and I believe this is the best place and best situation.

“I’m very excited to be a part of this town, the city, the fans, the energy the fans bring, just experiencing the city, the ball park, the teammates, everything about the experience is going to be very exciting. I had a great time with the fans and with the organization in San Diego and have nothing but the best to say about them. This is going to be definitely a new experience but I’m very excited about it because there’s going to be a lot more energy at the ball park.”

But it’s not just the atmosphere he’s looking forward to. It’s the marriage of the resources in Boston, like hitting coach Dave Magadan, manager Terry Francona and his understanding of how to become a force in the Red Sox order for years to come.

“The fact that I’m at the position now that I understand my swing, I understand pitchers’ tendencies, I understand how to watch video and analyze video and all those things are going to help, not just with the overall experience but the intense competition and being in playoff-type games all year long,” Gonzalez said.