2:35 pm: The Brewers have announced the deal.
12:58 pm: Gott’s deal is a split contract, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link). He’ll receive a 40-man roster spot but earn different salaries depending upon if he’s pitching at the major league or minor league levels.
11:47 am: The Brewers are signing free agent reliever Trevor Gott to a one-year, major league contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter link). Gott is represented by Sports One Athlete Management.
It’s a bit surprising to see the right-hander land a big league deal right out of the gate. Gott was designated for assignment by the Giants last offseason and passed through outright waivers. Briefly re-selected to the 40-man roster in April, he was quickly DFA’d and again cleared the waiver wire. Gott spent the rest of the season with San Francisco’s top affiliate in Sacramento before electing minor league free agency last month. Because he qualified for minor league free agency in early October, Gott was eligible to sign elsewhere before the end of the current five-day window of exclusivity for teams to negotiate with their own free agents.
Gott had a nice run with the River Cats in 2021, tossing 41 2/3 innings of 4.10 ERA ball over 43 appearances. Opponents’ .340 batting average on balls in play inflated his Triple-A run prevention numbers, but Gott punched out a very strong 31% of minor league hitters on the back of a solid 14.9% swinging strike rate.
Between 2015-20, Gott posted inconsistent results but intermittently flashed solid ability. He worked to a 3.02 ERA with the Angels in his rookie season, overcoming mediocre strikeout and walk numbers that year thanks to a massive 57.2% ground-ball rate. After three years with the Nationals riddled by injuries and underperformance, Gott seemed to break out with the 2019 Giants. While he posted an ordinary 4.44 ERA over 52 2/3 frames, his strikeout (26.6%), walk (7.9%) and swinging strike (10.8%) numbers were all solid or better.
Unfortunately for Gott, he couldn’t build off that success in 2020. He was tagged for thirteen runs, including a staggering seven homers, in just 11 2/3 innings. That remains his most recent body of work at the major league level, but the Milwaukee front office will take a low-risk roll of the dice that the 29-year-old can yet regain some of his best form.
Once made official, the Gott signing will bring Milwaukee’s 40-man roster tally up to 38. It’s not out of the question the Brewers could bump Gott from the 40-man at some point this winter should the need for another spot arise, but the front office is clearly intrigued by his potential to assume a role in next year’s bullpen. Gott is out of minor league option years, so he’ll either need to break camp with the big league team next season or be made available to the rest of the league. Should he right the ship and cement himself in the Brewers’ relief group, Gott could be controlled through the end of the 2024 campaign via arbitration.
Gott himmmm!
Gott got got
Gott was a good get for the Giants at first but then Gott forgot how to get batters out. He got left in games too long without having an out pitch to get good hitters to go after. Brewers got Gott on an MLB contract? Didn’t think Gott would be able to get that especially after getting cut loose a couple of times. Oh well, good luck Gott, hope the Brewers got what they were looking to get in Gott.
I don’t get it
Watch him throw a 50 ip, 2.77 era season because it’s the Brewers
are the Brewers the Rays now?
No. He’d have a 2.27 ERA with the Rays.
Well that didn’t take long. Since there was an article on the Brewers upgrading less than 14 hours ago.
This is a upgrade?
I see the Brewers Gott the post season started.
I’ll also see myself out.
big move to start the offseason
I’ve Gott Brewers’ Fever. Don’t tell me I’m Wong. No Haders allowed.
I don’t get it
How is this guy the first to sign?
Are we going to see mostly major league minimum deals until the CBA is done?
He’s a minor league free agent
He signed a major league deal though
the offseason just started…
I’ve alway liked Gott. He had a very nice season with the G’s in 2019, then started out as the Giants closer in 2020 with 4 straight saves and a win before blowing 3 straight. After imploding in those 3 blown saves he pitched well but still finished the season with ugly numbers. He deserves another shot. I hope he pitches well for the Brewers
Boom! First big league signing after WS. Let’s go!
And so it begins…
(Watch out for those pesky Mariners this off season)
Pfft.
Gott never panned out in Washington. Tantalizing stuff but just didn’t consistently put it together, despite given ample opportunity. Not sure how he did for the Giants but the Brewers have their work cut out for them.
splits ftw
Gott to strike while the irons hot. Hot Stove is heating up haha
They got got. Could have, still might, get Kimblow.
The hot stove begins…
How is it a split contract if he is out of options? Does it guarantee him money if gets dfa’d and decides not to elect free agency from the organization?
I think since it says he’s on the 40 man roster he’s not guaranteed a big league spot right now, so he can be stashed in the minors to start out..? I could certainly be wrong, but I expect more info to come so we can all get this figured out.
Yes, a 40 man roster spot doesn’t guarantee a spot on the active roster at the start of the season but, I would assume, split contracts would only be offered to players with options remaining. However, it may be that this contract guarantees him to earn more money in the minor leagues than what would typically be earned.
He had potential to be very good but the inconsistency with command was a major problem as well as giving up the long ball. Wouldn’t have ever gotten a fair shot in SF, wouldn’t be surprised if he has a Strickland-like turnaround outside of SF.
Not sure why they’d use a coveted 40-man spot on him but maybe they know something….
Intriguing choice. Sam Clay was the guy last year, a couple of years ago the same with Ryan Carpenter (Hanuwa Eagles starter now) and Scott Barlow who is contending to be the Royals closer.