Mike Gonzalez didn't find a home for 2012 until May, but interest in the left-hander is plentiful this offseason. He told James Wagner of The Washington Post that about ten teams have already expressed interest in his services, but his top priority is staying with the Nationals.
“They’ve had a couple conversations,” said Gonzalez. “[My agent] told me that [the Nationals] are definitely interested and I’m definitely interested. It’s going to be good. We haven’t started throwing money there. But there’s interest on every side.”
Gonzalez, 34, pitched to a 3.03 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 35 2/3 innings for Washington this season, holding lefties to a .179/.257/.269 batting line with 23 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances. He recently left Scott Boras for Dan Lozano and said that while he's hoping for a two-year deal, comfort will be a big factor with his decision this offseason.
With both Gonzalez and Sean Burnett becoming free agents, Tom Gorzelanny is currently the only left-hander in the Nationals' bullpen. He's more of a longman than a matchup specialist.
