The Miami Marlins were able to land veteran Gio Gonzalez on Wednesday morning. Gonzalez and the Marlins agreed to a minor league contract, and Gonzalez is expected to report to Spring Training once he clears COVID-19 protocol. This isn’t by any means a blockbuster deal, but it will benefit the young Marlins roster to have a veteran around during spring camp and possibly during the regular season.
Prior Seasons
Gonzalez is a twelve-year veteran, as well as a Florida native. He made twelve appearances for the Chicago White Sox in 2020, four of which were starts. However, he posted a poor 4.83 ERA over 31.2 innings. Gonzalez’s two best seasons came in 2011 and 2012 when he made two All-Star appearances; one with Oakland and another with Washington. He allowed just 134 earned runs in those two seasons combined, in which he pitched 401.1 innings. He also was able to strike out 404 batters in those innings.
As of late, Gonzalez’s performance has been declining and he is likely at the tail-end of his career. He’s played for four teams in the last three seasons and signing with the Marlins will send him to a fifth location since 2018. He will look to rebound after a poor 2020, likely starting the season with Miami’s Triple-A affiliate, the Wichita Wind Surge. The Wind Surge recently became Miami’s Triple-A affiliate after the New Orleans Baby Cakes parted ways with Miami.
The Future
The Miami Marlins could use a veteran arm during the late season, so this was a good addition to their pitching staff which mainly consists of younger arms. This isn’t a blockbuster signing, as the Marlins have very little playoff hopes going into the 2021 season; the Mets, Braves, Phillies, and Nationals are all looking to compete in the NL East, so the Marlins need to keep rebuilding if they want to compete. However, it will be interesting to see if the lefty veteran can revive his career.