The Astros have avoided arbitration with utility infielder Marwin Gonzalez, agreeing to a $3.725MM salary for the upcoming season, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (via Twitter). Gonzalez will also have a $5.125MM team option tacked onto his contract. If the club declines that option, he’ll still be controllable via arbitration next winter. Gonzalez had reportedly been set for a hearing on Feb. 14, but the two sides will now avoid that fate.
As can be seen in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker, the Astros had filed for a $3.25MM salary against Gonzalez’s submission of $4.2MM. The $3.725MM sum at which the two sides settled represents the exact midpoint between those filings, and the 2018 option gives the two sides an easy means of circumventing this process again in Gonzalez’s final offseason of arbitration eligibility — assuming he performs at a reasonable level in 2017.
Gonzalez, 28 in March, was a Rule 5 pick back in 2011 and has become a fixture on the Houston roster over the past three seasons as his bat has taken a step forward. After hitting just .227/.266/.323 in his first two seasons as an Astro, Gonzalez has posted roughly league-average production at the plate across the past three seasons, hitting .268/.309/.413 in just under 1200 plate appearances.
Gonzalez has nearly 1700 innings of shortstop under his belt at the Major League level, though the emergence of Carlos Correa has limited his time at that position in recent years. In 2016, he spent the bulk of his time in the field (677 innings) at first base but also saw time at third base, both middle infield positions, both outfield corners and one lone inning in center field.
With Gonzalez’s salary now set, the Astros have resolved seven of their eight arbitration cases. Right-hander Collin McHugh, who filed for a $3.85MM salary against the team’s submission of $3.35MM, is set for a hearing on Feb. 10, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle recently reported.
Good for Marwin. He’s been a great utility asset. However, at $5M , I wonder if he’ll be on the team in 2018. The Astros will have lots of cheaper options.
they have no one that can play SS. though you could use a guy like Moran as the utility guy and move bregman around to give Altuve or correa an off day.
Bregman can play SS, they literally drafted him as a SS. I love Marwin, but he plays a below average SS. I don’t see many scenarios where Moran makes the team, especially not as a utility guy.
bregman is a natural shortstop, probably better than correa. gurriel plays third. marwin is super utility.
I remember when he broke up Darvish’s no hot bid
I was there lol so awesome
Marwin would be a lot better off on a different team. He could be a starter for teams at 2nd, SS, or 3rd base. His value of being a switch hitting utility guy that can handle any position in the field is invaluable. Glad he got a good contract for this season.
No. The Astros don’t need to let another team realize how valuable he is. Can you imagine the Astros NOT having Marwin around for when people struggle, get hurt, etc???
Do arb numbers ever go down in MLB arb? Or is your salary for 2017, for example, basically your floor for 2018? If so, reasonable deal. Astros get cost certainty if he plays well, and Marwin has a decent min if he doesn’t (assuming he isn’t non-tendered). But if not, the option is a little one-sided. Ceiling for team if he plays well, but team can still try to set new floor if he doesn’t. Wonder if you can propose a sort of mutual option at different prices, either party can exercise, but only at the number that is less favorable to them. The team could have the option they got, while Marwin could have an opinion at, say, $4M.
I really hope McHugh gets signed before he hearing.
The difference is so minuscule, I can’t see why a deal can’t be done somewhere in the middle.
Nobody wants a hearing, not a good mental place before the season hearing your team question your value.
It’s on purpose. He knows he won’t be here next year. Get money while he can. Agent wants him to hear what they really think of him