The Dodgers announced Wednesday that right-hander Tony Gonsolin went unclaimed on waivers and elected free agency. He was designated for assignment last week. Gonsolin underwent a flexor repair and internal brace procedure on his right UCL back in August. The procedure came with a recovery timetable of eight to ten months.
Now 31 years old, Gonsolin looked like a potential rotation stalwart with the Dodgers early in his career. From 2019-22, he pitched a combined 272 2/3 innings with a 2.51 ERA while fanning nearly one quarter of his opponents and posting a solid 8.5% walk rate. A pair of IL stints due to shoulder inflammation, plus time off due to an ankle sprain and forearm inflammation, limited Gonsolin’s workload in that four-year period. (As did the shortened 2020 season, of course.)
Still, Gonsolin avoided major injury until the 2023 season, when recurring elbow troubles limited him to 103 frames with a 4.98 ERA. He eventually required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the entire 2024 campaign. A back injury hobbled him early in 2025, but Gonsolin did return to the mound for the Dodgers in late April. He started seven games, totaled 36 innings and posted a 5.00 ERA before landing back on the injured list with renewed elbow discomfort in early July. By mid-August, he was going back under the knife.
The 93.5 mph Gonsolin averaged on his fastball in this year’s return is a ways off from its 95.1 mph peak in 2020, but it’s also a bit higher than the right-hander managed to average in 2022-23. This year’s 12.2% swinging-strike rate and 24.2% strikeout rate were both comfortably better than league average. Gonsolin struggled with his command, both in terms of missing the strike zone entirely (11.5% walk rate) and lacking precision within the zone itself (2.25 HR/9), but there were some moderately encouraging signs even amid his struggles.
Given that he’s now facing another lengthy rehab that will extend from somewhere between next April and June, he’ll be capped on a short-term deal. Opportunistic clubs may look to buy low on a one-year deal, and we’ve seen pitchers in similar situations command even modest two year pacts.
Two years would be a surprise, given Gonsolin’s recent injury track record and just 36 MLB innings over the past two seasons, but it’s not entirely implausible. He could opt to increase his earning potential by waiting until he’s healthy to re-sign, but he should have interest from clubs this offseason and will be viewed as someone who could be a midseason reinforcement to a club’s pitching staff and/or a trade chip for a rebuilding club.
Thank you for all the years you were on the team
Giants need to grab this cat. I still think he has it.
He’s a Bay Area guy. I wish him luck!
Thanks Goose. Enjoy your rings!
Should be mentioned that he was also an All Star (2022). Looked like he had a great career ahead of him, then he got really unlucky.
This guy has Breslow salivating as we write
Please don’t say that out loud
Some contender’s going to follow the Bieber model on this guy and try to whip out a bonus starter for September and October next year
This guy isn’t Shane Bieber. And he’s older. And no one is signing him to be a playoff starter. But go ‘head Ted. Spit that nonsense.
Cleveland model seems possible. Braves have also done it with guys in the past. Super cheap contract next season backloaded for a bounce back year. Seems like a guy the Braves might get but wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up on a mid tier team first
Thanks Catman, best of luck
Thought the Dodgers should’ve traded him a few years ago (valuable regular season pitcher, atrocious playoff performer) and gotten something in return, now DFA’d for nothing, oh well.
Everybody knows the future after it happens.
Rhubarb
Because the last two seasons worked out so poorly for the Dodgers?
Good stuff when the arm’s right 🤷♂️….
Yup….solid arm when healthy.
Angels buy low!
Ha! You beat me to it. Was just gonna say he’ll end up with the Angels.
Steve Adams:
“Two years would be a surprise, given Gonsolin’s recent injury track record and just 36 MLB innings over the past two seasons…”
Craig Breslow:
“Hold my beer.”
Some team might give him $2M for 2026 with extra incentives based on innings pitched, and possibly tack on a team option at market value ($15M – $18M or so) with a small buyout included for him agreeing to a team option. Like Dickiesox says, this is right in Craig Breslow’s wheelhouse!
Red Sox! And I was hoping for Woodruff
Tony Gonsolin grew up in Vacaville, a city in Northern California, and his whole family were San Francisco Giants fans. However, as a kid, Gonsolin has stated he was personally a New York Yankees fan because he admired Derek Jeter.
He attended Vacaville High School and St. Mary’s College of California before being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. When the Dodgers played against the Giants, his family members often told him they wanted the Giants to win, but they wanted him to win when he was pitching.
My guess Yankees may come a calling but the A’s are close to his hometown. SF should have the inside track.
Praying he comes to Texas and joins the Rangers instead of signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers again?
With all the injuries that require long periods of recovery like TJ. Why is that teams have to open spots on the 40 man roster when the player is not ready to play in the first 60 games?
Who benefits from this? Players get push out of teams rosters, and teams loosing valuable assets by not been able to protect them.
There are teams with 5 or more less spots, this also affects the FA.
Wasn’t that long ago that the Dodger killer rotation of the future was Gonsolin, May, Urias, and Buehler.
May and Buehler should have good 2026 seasons.
and Seager, Verdugo, Pedersen, Lux and Bellinger were going to be our young offensive core while Rios and Ruiz were sure fire studs…
Wish we could have kept Seager. But I think the Dodgers have done ok.
One of the good guys. I hope he lands in a great spot when he can get back to form and make some money. Excellent pitcher when he’s right.
Cardinals should be all over this.
He’s a Blue Jay.
8-10 month recovery coming off surgery in August. No way this guy is getting a 1 year deal. Whatever team is going to want 2 years. He’s not a potential plug and play rotation guy like Bieber in October.
Team option for a second year.
Yeah I don’t see a team locking him up to a two year guarantee. Club option makes the most sense.
If it was just one lost season then maybe but back to back seasons is too risky.
I think he will be looking at a minor league deal with a team. So he can at least rehab and then if he recovers try and rebound. A deal that if he is rostered he gets some money. Perhaps with a deadline to be rostered or released. That’s my guess.