33-year-old southpaw Mike Gonzalez may be the best available reliever, and he's got the Boras Corporation on his side. However, with pitchers and catchers due to report in a week, financial resources and roster spots are limited for most teams. Here are some potential fits for Gonzalez, who posted a 4.39 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.18 HR/9, and 40.9% groundball rate for the Orioles and Rangers in 2011.
- Earlier this month, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that the Rangers are still in on Gonzalez, for whom they could find money by trading Koji Uehara. As of January, Michael Kirkman and Martin Perez were the Rangers' top candidates to fill a lefty relief role, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Since then, the team added Joe Beimel and Mitch Stetter on minor league deals.
- The Yankees are going with Boone Logan as their primary lefty, with Rule 5 pick Cesar Cabral also needing a 25-man roster spot if he is to be retained. Hideki Okajima and Michael O'Connor will be in camp on minor league deals.
- Assuming Travis Wood makes the Cubs' rotation, they'll have Jeff Beliveau, John Gaub, Scott Maine, James Russell, and Trever Miller looking to fill the lefty reliever void created by the Sean Marshall trade. The Cubs had to sacrifice Blake DeWitt to find a 40-man roster spot for Adrian Cardenas, however, and someone else would have to go if Gonzalez were to sign a Major League deal.
- The Astros have lefty relievers, but they could represent Gonzalez's best chance to return to closing if he'll accept a meager salary. The team's pen is unsettled after the Mark Melancon trade.
- The Brewers will have Zach Braddock and Manny Parra vying for a lefty reliever job, with non-roster invitees Juan Perez and Daniel Meadows also in the discussion. The team might not have a few million in the budget for Gonzalez, but they've got a $375K swing assuming they go to an arbitration hearing with reliever Jose Veras.
- The Dodgers have Scott Elbert as their main lefty reliever, with names such as Michael Antonini, John Grabow, Wil Ledezma, and Alberto Castillo trying to grab another spot. Finding a roster opening could be the biggest stumbling block.
- Lefties Josh Spence and Joe Thatcher are penciled into the Padres' bullpen, but Gonzalez would make a nice addition for the Padres behind Huston Street.
He’d make sense for the Brewers. Parra isn’t effective vs. lefties or righties for that matter and shouldn’t have been offered arby to begin with. Still I’d cut him and sign Gonzalez.
Haha yesterday they said his best fit would be the Phillies, today they arent even on the list.
Well, Boras is his agent.
So, maybe Scott called the Phillies and told them you can’t have him!
In terms of a general setup man, not a bad idea. They seem decent on lefties though.
Theo/Jed should jump on this. Marcos Mateo is very expendable. To trade Marshall for 3 long term assets and then pick up a solid replacement for less dollars would be ridiculous. He could also be flipped at the deadline for another decent prospect.
We have some younger cheaper options such as Jeff Beliveau already in the system that could fill this spot given the chance. He’s been putting up great numbers the last couple years. Based on watching him a good part of last season at Tennessee and then the numbers he put up in the Pan Am Games, I think this guy is legit.
true, but 2012 is an experimental year. Why start the service time clock?
true, but 2012 is an experimental year. Why start the service time clock?
I’d like to see the Rangers sign him. Hopefully they can trade Uehara to free up payroll and get him signed.
I agree. Uehara was a bust for the Rangers and I’d prefer Gonzalez in the bullpen this season.
Any link to #Padres or just speculation?
Anyone signing this guy based on his short sample size success with Texas last year is a ****. Gonzalez is unreliable. At any moment he is a candidate to load the bases with walks.
Guarantee whoever signs this guy will soon regret it — and when he stlnks which he will — as a fan your blood will boil everytime he takes the mound — not only because of his stlnkage but having to watch that awful dance delivery he does while doing it.