Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is among the stragglers remaining on the free-agent market as spring training nears, and the former star is holding out hope someone will give him an opportunity to re-establish himself. Gonzalez intends to play this season, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Gonzalez hasn’t logged a professional at-bat since last June 27, which brought an end to a fleeting stint with the Cubs. They signed Gonzalez to a minor league contract, only to part with him less than a month later. The Cubs were the second team to jettison Gonzalez last season, joining the Indians – another club that took a flier on him on a minor league deal.
Gonzalez didn’t catch on anywhere during the final couple months of the 2019 campaign, no doubt thanks to the dismal numbers he posted between Chicago and Cleveland. The onetime NL batting champion was only able to muster a .200/.289/.283 with three home runs and a paltry .083 ISO in 166 plate appearances.
Now, if anybody does sign the 34-year-old Gonzalez this season, he’ll surely have to settle for a third consecutive minors pact. While CarGo’s a three-time All-Star who slashed .290/.349/.516 with 227 homers and 118 steals as a member of the Rockies from 2009-18, he hasn’t recorded especially valuable production in any season since a 2.6-fWAR showing in 2016.
Souza stole his only chance of being on a major league roster, GO CUBS!
I’m surprised CarGo would even bother with a minor league deal. Guy already made a fortune. Now he’s going to ride buses?
Called love of the game
It’s called signing a minor league deal w/chance to make ML out of spring training. If not, AAA teams fly to most places anyway.
And my grandmother still wants to fly jets
Maybe Marlins or Tigers or Orioles?
Not the Marlins. Just signed Matt Joyce, a few weeks after signing Dickerson.
Would have much preferred what’s left of Gonzalez (or, ahem, Puig) over Joyce.
I’d say Tigers or Orioles. Both could use help in the corner OF. Both teams also offer occasional at bats in the DH spot.
The Orioles are clogged at DH as it is with Davis (ugh!), Mancini, and Alberto taking regular AB’s there.
He’d probably have to show a little something on a minor league deal to get a shot
I’d be willing to bet Alberto plays close to 0 games out of the DH slot. He’s our everyday 2B with Villar gone. He really has no competition for the slot. Maybe he gets a game a month at DH but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t at all. Nunez/Davis/Mancini will get the bulk of the starts there w/ mountcastle likely making his way up.
Wherever Cargo goes it’s going to be on a minor league deal. The orioles have 7 OF’s on the 40 man but DJ Stewart will be placed on the 60 day IL as the season begins. So there’s a chance we could sign an OF to a minor league deal. But Cargo hasn’t looked like he had anything left for awhile now. I’d prefer we passed and took a chance claiming a guy off waivers this spring. I’d be willing to bet there’s a higher chance of surplus value there.
Tigers have had a lineup of .200-.215 batting averages. They need a .300 hitter. He’s a better fit to help a good established team through an injured starter.
Not Orioles. Santander and Mancini in corners.
Mancini shouldn’t be in a corner. His position is 1B. Soon we will have Diaz ready to take his spot in the outfield. There’s no need to add Cargo to displace Mancini but the time will come.
Would love to see the marlins pick him up. Add more depth to the lineup and the outfield and provide more veteran presence to the clubhouse for the young players
Alright have Dickerson, Kemp, and probably Joyce to fill that role. They need to play the kids too.
It would be a minor league deal. He would be depth for when those guys are the DL.
34. Not ancient but his decline has been brutal.
He only had one bad year so I think it’s too early to talk about the decline.
Huh?
Here are his last 3 weighted runs created above average (100 = 100%, being average, every number up or down means a percentage up or down compared to the average hitter).
2017: 85
2018 97
2019 51
That’s 3 “bad” seasons out of the last 3.
He may have had some nagging injuries that didn’t help things. Perhaps the Tigers have a spot on the spring roster for him. Put him in Rightfield until the Allstar break, see what he can do. Sure your taking ABs from a young guy, but your repaying someone who helped make the game great.
I guess the fact that he still wants to play, shows that he thinks he can. A lot of these older players are cutoff and can still play. A lot of young players waiting at the door.
97 is not “bad,” it is basically average. The 51 was definitely bad. The 85 was borderline bad. But 97 is not bad. It wasn’t great or even good, but being an average major league player is not bad.
The double post was a bug – I only submitted the post once.
Sorry, this will be clearly off-topic, but felt the necessity to share this with the hope it might inspire some change or changes moving forward.
The questions chosen for the chats are generally all the same topics or very similar questions asked and already answered in previous chats by the other writers. Not to mention, it is all the same topics that have already been recently covered in articles already on the site.
It would definitely be an improvement if the chat holders would go over the recent chats first, and see what topics were already discussed.
It kills me how a large portion of the people asking the questions ask questions that have just recently either been answered in a previous chat or in a previous article..
Every chat you can assure yourself of the following: Senzel trade proposals, Padres trade proposals, Cubs fans whining about their offseason, or lack thereof, Mookie trade discussions, Rockies rebuilding, the Dodgers trading Lux or Seager, something about the Astros cheating, team over/under guesses, etc..
Also, they never answer anything about prospects, unless it is a widely known prospect, they never answer anything about defensive alignments and its effects, and they rarely ever answer any question submitted that involves analytics..
I recently just gave up on these chats..I figured the main reason for these chats was to be given the opportunity for a “baseball expert” to answer tougher questions that the average fan might not be able to figure out on their own. I figured, using their expertise, insider knowledge, and overall knowledge and experience they would help broaden our knowledge of the game of baseball, its issues, developing stories, current events, and the inner intricacies of the game..It is clear, apparently, I figured wrong.
For the past countless chats, there is nothing I have learned that I didn’t already know by reading current articles or through casual conversations with fellow fans..THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE!! If that is too much to ask for, then simply just make there only one chat a month per writer. If it is because there are only stupid questions being asked, then just create an article to have questions previously submitted and then sort through and choose the questions…SOMETHING, ANYTHING!!
The fact these writers are taking their time to do these chats is a very friendly gesture, but if the average fan is not learning anything from these chats, then really what is the point??
Maybe I am just off-base and wrong about why these chats are offered in the first place. I don’t know, and I certainly apologize if this has offended anyone. This is just an awesome site for baseball news, transactions, analysis, and speculation, I guess I just expected something different..
You need a girlfriend homie. Gad dayum, 10 paragraphs?
Nice dig but maybe he has a wife who he just doesn’t want to talk to or is driving hm crackers
U r completely right ive never once ever got a question replied to yet the same questions get picked over and over again
I apologize for that guy being g a embarrassment to Braves fans
Not an embarrassment at all. Nice to see some actual thought and analysis go into a post. I now have more respect for at least one more Braves fan.
It is clear, apparently, I figured wrong.
that’s foggy
if you’re looking for more in depth content, go to fangraphs or grantland. most of the commenters there know more than the writers at mlbtr. mlbtr is just good for news and rumors; analysis and teaching fans has never been their forte
In general, the questions being asked during the chats are about MLB trade rumors. The topics you’d like covered aren’t related to the purpose of this site and would be better asked elsewhere.
Perhaps you would like some cheese to go with that whine?
Questions are answered which interest the writers and which the writers think most of the people attending the chats would be interested in. I think a separate chat designated JUST for prospects might be valuable, but it’s also going to be hard for one guy to cover all the (potentially obscure) prospects in baseball. It would almost have to be a multi-host event in my opinion.
It doesn’t kill you. You had enough pulse to write enough for a Scorsese film.
Why don’t you make the changes you want to see in the world, than expect that they will just come to you?
I still don’t get why a second team gave Gonzalez a shot last year instead of going for Matt Holliday.
Destination — Skeeters.
@superman9
It is 1am, she is sleeping, but thanks for caring about my wellbeing..lol
I feel the same about the chats. Don’t think I’ve learned anything either, but I only read the chat log after they’re done which only takes a few mins.
I also wish it was a way to learn something, but I’m guessing these guys don’t know much that we don’t. If they did, they would write an article about it and you and I would have already read it.
Traffic clicks are the only thing that matter. The younger that you can learn that lesson, the better you’ll be off personally.
Hate the game, not the player – in this case, MLBTR.
Traffic clicks are the only thing that matter. The younger that you can learn that lesson, the better you’ll be off personally.
Hate the game, not the player – in this case, MLBTR.
The Athletics could be a fit as the 4th outfielder.
Not sure what’s happening, but any replies I make are getting duplicated and if I try to delete the duplicate, it still stays.
Usually after you comment it takes some time to get through. Just click once even if you don’t see it loading. At least that’s what i do from my Android Phone. Not sure about PCs.
The White Sox should give him a minor deal. He can still play RF.
I think the 49ers will win.
Japan or Korea. Enjoy the life experience. Get the living legend treatment for a great career.
I was just thinking the same thing. His best hope at this point is to take a season to tear it up in Asia. If he falls flat there it’s time to hang it up.
Maybe the Yankees. Desperate for a lefty to take advantage of the Stadium, playing in the Bronx after a winter of getting back in shape MIGHT work.
Cargo needs a young team like it was mentioned in the prior chats. The Marlins used Grandy in that aspect. Teach the young players and get some at bats. KC could also be a possibility.
Pirates? They clearly have playing time available in the outfield.
Sounds like a perfect candidate to play right field for the Red Sox once they trade Betts.
Stickball at Washington School where I played my first little league game. Or at my alma mater Lincoln School where Mel Stottlemyre’s boys played. It all starts with a rubber ball and a broom handle. Hand eye indeed.
Gonzalez was another product of Coors Field. Needs that thin air (or roids) to get him back on track.
If Gonzalez wants to play again, I suspect it will have to be in Korea or Japan or maybe an independent league. His bat no longer looks viable in MLB and his defense has been poor for many years. There just isn’t really an upside to him anymore and the track record on that is pretty long.
Car Gone. Just go away. Hasn’t done anything since Coors field days
Cargo says, “Everytime a team gives me a million dollars, I buy another house.”