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Erik Gonzalez

White Sox Agree To Minor League Deals With Jake Marisnick, Erik Gonzalez

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The White Sox have agreed to minor league contracts with outfielder Jake Marisnick (as first reported by Kenny Van Doren of Astros Future) and infielder Erik Gonzalez (as indicated on the transaction log at MiLB.com). Marisnick will be invited to Major League Spring Training and would earn a $1.3MM salary if he makes the team. Gonzalez, presumably, will also be in camp this spring.

Marisnick, 32 in March, spent the 2022 season with the Pirates, for whom he posted a tepid .234/.272/.390 slash in a tiny sample of 82 plate appearances. He’s appeared in the Majors every year since debuting with the Marlins back in 2013 but has never topped the 372 plate appearances he recorded with the Astros back in 2015. Overall, he’s a lifetime .228/.281/.384 batter in 2164 plate appearances, though his .235/.292/.412 slash against lefties is a slight improvement over those career rates.

The signing of Marisnick gives the South Siders a potential right-handed-hitting complement to lefty-swinging right fielder Gavin Sheets (and, to a lesser extent, a complement for fellow lefty Andrew Benintendi in left field, though Benintendi will likely play every day regardless of opponent). In that sense, he could potentially fill a role similar to the one Adam Engel has occupied for the Sox in recent seasons. Engel signed a one-year deal with the Padres recently after being non-tendered by Chicago back in November.

The fleet-footed Marisnick is capable of playing any of the three outfield slots and is generally regarded as a plus defender at each. Statcast ranked him in the 85th percentile of Major Leaguers in terms of average sprint speed this past season and in the 96th percentile in terms of arm strength. Of his 5125 career innings in the outfield, 4231 have come in center field. Marisnick, then, is also a viable defensive-minded backup in the event of a Luis Robert injury. He’s tallied impressive marks of 76 Defensive Runs Saved and 48 Outs Above Average in those 5125 innings of outfield work. That’s the eighth-best DRS mark of any outfielder since 2013 and 12th-best OAA mark, despite the fact that the majority of names ahead of him on the list have played far more innings.

Gonzalez, 31, is another former Pirate (2019-21) but spent the 2022 season with the Marlins organization. He posted just a .189/.268/.216 slash in the Majors, but that came in a sample of only 41 plate appearances. Gonzalez spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A, where he logged a much more palatable .284/.336/.373 slash while appearing at all four infield positions (albeit just one inning at first base).

Since debuting with Cleveland back in 2016, Gonzalez has appeared in parts of seven Major League seasons. He’s a combined .242/.276/.340 hitter but has drawn plus DRS marks at all four infield spots and plus OAA marks at both shortstop and third base. That ability to play anywhere on the infield will give him a chance to earn a bench spot in Spring Training and, if he begins the year in Triple-A, could make him one of the team’s first options in the event of an injury in the big league infield.

Marlins Outright Erik Gonzalez

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Infielder Erik Gonzalez cleared outright waivers following last week’s DFA and has been assigned to the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville, per the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. Gonzalez, who was designated for assignment last week when the Marlins selected the contract of veteran center fielder Billy Hamilton, has enough service time to reject the assignment and elect free agency if he chooses.

The 30-year-old Gonzalez has had a pair of stints with Miami this season, hitting at a combined .189/.268/.216 clip in a tiny sample of 41 plate appearances. He entered the 2022 season with a more palatable, albeit still well below-average, career batting line of .245/.276/.345 (853 plate appearances).

Miami is the third big league stop of Gonzalez’s seven-year big league career. He’s previously spent time in Cleveland and in Pittsburgh but has primarily filled a utility role. The versatile infielder has never topped 81 games played or 229 plate appearances in a single Major League season.

Along the way, Gonzalez has appeared at all four infield positions and in all three outfield slots, although the vast majority of his time has been split between shortstop (781 innings), third base (655 innings) and second base (384 innings). Gonzalez has plus defensive ratings at all three of those positions per each of Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, with his work at third base, in particular, standing out (13 DRS, 4 OAA).

The right-handed-hitting Gonzalez opened the year with a .339/.376/.431 showing through 186 plate appearances in Triple-A. He’s a career .268/.308/.396 hitter in just over 1200 plate appearances at that level.

Marlins Select Billy Hamilton, Designate Erik Gonzalez

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The Marlins announced a series of roster moves Friday, selecting the contract of veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton from Triple-A Jacksonville and designating infielder Erik Gonzalez for assignment to clear roster space. Miami also reinstated Joey Wendle from the 10-day injured list and placed slugger Jorge Soler on the 10-day IL with what they’re terming “bilateral pelvis inflammation.”

Miami just signed Hamilton to a minor league contract a couple weeks ago. He made just one appearance with Jacksonville before being called up, and he’s now in position to log his first MLB action of the year. Hamilton adds a speed and defense element to an outfield that has otherwise been lacking a prototypical center fielder. Miami has relied on Jesus Sanchez, who’s probably better suited for a corner outfield role, in center field of late.

Sanchez, of course, will remain the primary center fielder even with Hamilton’s arrival. The fleet-footed veteran hasn’t hit well, putting up only a .213/.269/.299 line since the start of the 2019 campaign. Even with excellent defense and baserunning, that offensive output has been too light to merit regular playing time at the big league level. He’ll add an interesting complementary skill set to the bench for skipper Don Mattingly.

Gonzalez has had a pair of separate stints in the majors this season, the first coming as a COVID replacement. The former Pirate has suited up in 16 MLB games with Miami, playing all four infield spots but not offering much at the plate. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Gonzalez has had a nice season in Jacksonville. Through 186 plate appearances with the Jumbo Shrimp, he’s hit .339/.376/.431 and swiped seven bases.

With Wendle back and Soler landing on the IL, Miami will turn the final bench spot over to an outfielder at the expense of some infield depth. Gonzalez, who is out of minor league option years, had to be designated for assignment to be taken off the active roster. Miami will have a week to trade him or, more likely, run him through waivers. If he passes through the wire unclaimed, he’d have the right to elect free agency as a player with over three years of big league service time.

Marlins Select Erik Gonzalez, Designate Willians Astudillo

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The Marlins announced to reporters, including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, that they have selected the contract of infielder Erik Gonzalez. To make room for him on the active roster, infielder Willians Astudillo has been designated for assignment.

Astudillo, 30, spent the first four years of his career with Minnesota, becoming a fan favorite due to his unusual size and profile. “La Tortuga” played every position on the diamond except for shortstop while with the Twins, including a few stints on the mound. He was also noteworthy for nearly constantly putting the ball in play, very rarely walking or striking out. However, his overall production lacked enough that the Twins designated him for assignment in November of last year.

The Marlins added him on a minor league deal in March, eventually selecting him to the big league team in May. Since then, he’s matched his profile, lining up at multiple positions, striking out just 5.3% of the time and walking just 2.6% of the time. His overall slash line of .270/.289/.351 amounts to a wRC+ of 84.

The Marlins evidently think that they can coax better production out of Gonzalez, based on this transaction. The veteran spent a few weeks with the club earlier this year, when they were dealing with a COVID situation. As such, Gonzalez was designated a “substitute” that could be removed from the 40-man roster without being exposed to waivers. During that time with the big league team, he got into 12 games and hit just .194/.286/.194 for a wRC+ of 49. However, he’s fared much better in Triple-A this year, slashing .339/.376/.431, 119 wRC+. With injuries to Joey Wendle and Brian Anderson, the Marlins have been trying to find infield solutions, including utility types like Astudillo and Jon Berti, with Gonzalez now being swapped in as the latest attempt.

Marlins Announce Series Of Roster Moves

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The Marlins have the night off but announced a series of roster moves nonetheless, with Christina De Nicola of MLB.com being among those to relay the batch. (Twitter links)

Infielder Joey Wendle and left-hander Richard Bleier have each been reinstated from the injured list. To make room on the active roster, catcher Payton Henry and infielder Joe Dunand were optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Bleier was one of many Marlins to recently land on the COVID-related IL, with infielder Erik Gonzalez being his replacement. Gonzalez has been designated a COVID “substitute” and thus allowed to be subtracted from the roster without being exposed to waivers. Infielder Luke Williams, acquired in a trade earlier today, has been added to the 40-man roster but optioned to Triple-A. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, right-hander Paul Campbell has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. That series of moves involves three players being subtracted from the active roster and two being added, meaning another move should also be involved. Parsing the words of SportsGrid’s Craig Mish in this tweet, it seems like catcher Nick Fortes will also be recalled to even everything out.

Wendle was acquired from the Rays in an offseason trade and began the year on a heater before a hamstring strain put him on the shelf. Through 25 games, he was hitting .304/.368/.456 for a wRC+ of 139. He had been primarily slotting into third base before the injury, with Brian Anderson spending more time in the outfield corners. While Wendle was out, Anderson moved to the hot corner but will likely be spending more time on the grass again.

While the news on Wendle is encouraging for the Marlins, the news about Campbell is potentially ominous. He was placed on the IL April 18 with an elbow strain. He is now ineligible to return until 60 days from that initial placement, meaning the club doesn’t expect him to return in the coming weeks. He had been recalled from the minors just days before landing on IL without getting into a game. Although he’s yet to make his season debut at the MLB level, he was nonetheless in the big leagues at the time of his injury. That means he’ll earn service time and MLB pay for as long as he’s out of action. The 26-year-old came into this year with 93 days of service under his belt. No timeline has been provided for his expected recovery.

Marlins Select Erik Gonzalez

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The Marlins selected infielder Erik González onto the major league roster before yesterday’s game against the Padres. Reliever Richard Bleier was placed on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.

Whenever González gets into a game, it’ll be his seventh consecutive year with some MLB action. Originally an Indians’ prospect, the Dominican Republic native bounced on and off the big league roster with Cleveland between 2016-18. Regarded as a fairly promising young player, he was blocked out of the regular infield by the trio of Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and José Ramírez. González didn’t perform especially well when given opportunities, and Cleveland traded him to the Pirates over the 2018-19 offseason.

He spent three years with the Bucs, getting a little more run than he’d had in Cleveland. Between 2019-21, the right-handed hitter accrued roughly the equivalent of one full season of playing time. He managed just a .236/.268/.324 line in that time, making a fair amount of contact but hitting plenty of ground-balls and only walking in 4.3% of his plate appearances. The Pirates outrighted González off their 40-man roster last August, and he elected minor league free agency at the end of the year.

The Fish signed the 30-year-old to a minors deal during the lockout. He’s gotten off to a scorching .392/.417/.526 start in 103 plate appearances, although that’s in large part due to an unsustainable .481 batting average on balls in play. Nevertheless, González is a solid defender all around the dirt and can offer some insurance behind Miami’s primary infield of Jesús Aguilar, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miguel Rojas and Joey Wendle.

Miami brought up both González and Joe Dunand over the weekend after losing infield options Brian Anderson and Jon Berti to the COVID list. Bleier became the third player in as many days to land on the shelf, subtracting perhaps skipper Don Mattingly’s most trusted late-game lefty from the mix. Bleier, who signed a two-year extension during Spring Training, has allowed four runs in 8 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and a pair of walks in 2022.

Marlins Signed Erik Gonzalez To Minor League Contract

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In a move that flew under MLBTR’s radar during the pre-lockout transactions frenzy, the Marlins signed utilityman Erik Gonzalez to a minor league deal in late November.  Because the Pirates outrighted him off their 40-man roster during the season, Gonzalez (with over three years of MLB service time) had the option of electing free agency this winter, and will now look for a new opportunity in South Beach.

Incumbent utilityman Jon Berti and newcomer Joey Wendle each already provide Miami with a lot of versatility, though positional flexibility is also Gonzalez’s calling card, as he has made at least one big league start at every position on the diamond except catcher and pitcher.  Much of Gonzalez’s experience has come as an infielder, as he has played mostly shortstop and third base over his six seasons with Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Between his versatility and his particularly solid glovework at the hot corner, Gonzalez has struck around big league rosters despite a lack of offensive production.  Gonzalez has only a .245/.276/.345 slash line to show for 853 plate appearances in the majors, and he also hit a modest .269/.311/.392 over his minor league career (3287 PA).  Injury problems haven’t helped, as Gonzalez was sidelined for much of the 2019 campaign due to a fractured clavicle, and he also missed a big chunk of time this past season with an oblique strain.

Players Recently Electing Free Agency

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We’ve seen dozens of players elect minor league free agency over the past couple weeks, and that has continued to be the case in recent days. We’ll round up a few more players who are hitting the open market here, courtesy of the Triple-A transactions trackers.

Players can qualify for minor league free agency in a few ways. The most notable of these include: players with 3+ years of MLB service time who have been outrighted off their teams’ 40-man rosters this season, players who have been outrighted off a 40-man roster multiple times in their careers, and unsigned players not on a 40-man roster who have spent parts of at least seven seasons on a minor league roster or injured list.

Each of this group of players has hit the market within the past week and not yet been covered at MLBTR:

Pirates Designate Erik Gonzalez, Select Anthony Alford

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4:03PM: The Pirates have also released outfielder Dustin Fowler.  Pittsburgh acquired Fowler in a trade with the A’s during the winter, and the outfielder posted a .434 OPS in 46 PA, marking Fowler’s first bit of big league action since the 2018 season.  Fowler was outrighted to Triple-A in April and has since battled injuries for much of the season.

3:18PM: The Pirates selected the contract of outfielder Anthony Alford from Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, Phillip Evans was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis, while utilityman Erik Gonzalez was designated for assignment (Gonzalez had been on the injured list, and was reinstated before being DFA’ed).

Gonzalez has been out of action since July 2 due to a left oblique strain, and he had been wrapping up a minor league rehab assignment in Triple-A.  Now, the 29-year-old could be potentially headed elsewhere after two-plus seasons with the Bucs.  Gonzalez has been utilized all over the diamond in his 174 games in a Pittsburgh uniform, but hasn’t hit much, batting only .236/.268/.324 over 578 plate appearances since the start of the 2019 season.

While Gonzalez could remain in the organization after clearing waivers, it seems likely that the rebuilding Pirates want to give more big league playing time to less-experienced players like Alford.  The former top prospect isn’t young (he just recently turned 27) but he has yet to earn a long look at the MLB level, appearing in each of the last five seasons but totaling only 62 games.

The Pirates claimed Alford off the Blue Jays roster in August 2020 but the change of scenery hasn’t unlocked anything for the outfielder, who has a .540 OPS in the small sample size of 42 PA with Pittsburgh.  At Triple-A, however, Alford has been red hot, hitting .307/.420/.593 with 14 home runs over 226 PA for Indianapolis.

Pirates Select Wilmer Difo

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3:33 pm: Pittsburgh has officially selected Difo and placed González on the 10-day IL. Righty Trevor Cahill was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL to clear 40-man roster space for Difo. Cahill went on the IL with a left calf strain on June 12 that’ll apparently require an extended absence. He’s out for 60 days from the date of his original placement, so he won’t return until at least mid-August.

2:49 pm: The Pirates are planning to select the contract of Wilmer Difo, manager Derek Shelton told reporters (including Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Fellow utilityman Erik González is going on the 10-day injured list. A corresponding 40-man roster move to accommodate Difo’s selection is forthcoming.

Difo signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh over the winter and earned a spot on the big league roster when Ke’Bryan Hayes landed on the injured list in early April. He wound tallying 87 plate appearances over the next couple months, hitting .244/.287/.366 while lining up at five defensive positions (including mop-up work as a pitcher). That’s right in line with the switch-hitter’s body of work as a depth option with the Nationals between 2015-20.

González has also bounced around the diamond this season, including picking up some extended run at third when Hayes was out of action. He’s not offered much at the plate, though, hitting just .232/.258/.300 over 229 trips to the dish before leaving yesterday’s game against the Brewers with right side discomfort.

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