Starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez is drawing interest from multiple teams, especially the Chicago White Sox, after being released by the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.
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Gonzalez Drawing Interest from Multiple Teams
Thursday, March 31
Chris Cotillo of SB Nation’s MLB Daily Dish reported the White Sox are “aggressively pursuing” the 31-year-old who is 39-33 in his career.
According to Cotillo, his sources also mentioned the Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays as candidates to sign the four-year veteran, who may not be on a major league roster come Opening Day:
Gonzalez will be on release waivers for 48 hours, meaning he will be eligible to sign as a free agent tomorrow. Any team that would claim Gonzalez off waivers would have to pay his entire $5.1 million salary for this season, so he is almost certain to hit free agency.
Gonzalez appears likely to get a minor-league deal at this point, though his strong market may push teams into giving him a guaranteed major-league deal. More teams are expected to jump in before the end of the week.
Last season was the worst for Gonzalez, who posted an ERA above four (4.91) for the first time in his career, as well as an ERA+ below 100 (84) for the first time, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
Mark Viviano of WJZ-TV Channel 13 Baltimore thinks despite a poor spring for Gonzalez (9.78 ERA in 19.1 innings), the 6’1″, 170-pounder can find a job:
The right-hander proved he can win at the major league level, but he’s never had a breakout season. And with the disappointing 2015 campaign still lingering, he’s not guaranteed a major league contract.
Chicago’s starting rotation, which includes Chris Sale and Jose Quintana on the top, is solid, meaning a minor league contract with the White Sox is a possibility until they deal with an injury to a starter.
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