Phillies Officially Sign Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez

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The final number is 3 years 12 million with a 4th year vesting/team option.  Negotiations hit a snag with regards to injury concerns.  Gonzalez has been placed on the 40 man roster and John Lannan has been moved to the 60 day DL to make room.

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About Matt Winkelman

Matt is originally from Mt. Holly, NJ, but after a 4 year side track to Cleveland for college he now resides in Madison, WI. His work has previously appeared on Phuture Phillies and The Good Phight. You can read his work at Phillies Minor Thoughts

69 thoughts on “Phillies Officially Sign Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez”

    1. Goes to some affiliate with a game left, comes to Philly and pitches out of the bullpen, would be my guess. But it depends on the contract wording

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    2. Maybe I’m off on this, but if he has physical concerns that caused the contract to go from 6 years, $50 mil to 3 years and $12 mil, maybe some rest would do his arm good?

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      1. He’s rested though, I don’t think he’s pitched all year. If he’s hurt they should just put him on the DL.

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  3. Well this is a much better contract for the Phils. Can’t help but feel that there is huge risk to this still though.

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    1. Exactly what type of huge risk are you referring?
      He has pitched this year in Mexico, so injury does not seem to be an issue at this point, and if he eventually projects as a 3 or 4, it is a good contract for the Phillies.

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      1. The kind of huge risk that takes a contract from 48 million to 12 million. Now obviously the decreased salary means that the risk of the move blowing up is reduced but injury concerns coupled with mixed reports about what he might become still make this a very risky move. And it’s not like there is much development left with the guy. We’re pretty much buying him as is. I like the move but shelling out 12 mill for a guy who has the very real possibility of never significantly contributing to the Phillies is risky in my book. But it is a good risk so far.

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        2. if anything the Phillies errored on side of caution. Nothing risky about it. Now if they signed him to original contract then few months later he experienced some pain in his arm…we would have a problem houston.

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    2. Seems if he can become antonio Bastardo then this contract is a win. anything better (and some people see ceilings much higher) seems to be a bonus

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  4. Is he arbitration eligible (still under team control) for any of his first six service years not covered by the contract?

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    2. He would be arb eligible after 2+ to 3 years service time in the bigs. Since the contract only covers 4 years, he will be eligible for arb for at least 2 and possibly 3 years after this contract expires.

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  6. How much time is left in the AAA season? He might get his USA pro debut in one or more of those games.
    Lower amount$ paid of $4 mil/season @ 3 yrs SEEMS to be a good move compared with the original signing story. So they are looking forward to a ’14 rotation of Gonzalez, Lee and Hamels with 2 guys to be plucked from our own pool.
    We should notice Doc’s horrendous game today. His auditions for a MLB job in ’14 continue for maybe 4-5 more starts. Then a post season conference to decide his value to the Phils then and beyond one season, in addition to forming plans for winter moves, and the likely fate of Kendrick.

    Would like to be a fly on the wall in that conference room.
    IMO, signing him for “old-times-sake” would be an error…assuming he shows as poorly in the rest of his ’13 starts. And, I assume he’d want more than a one year contract. Unless he shows much more in ’13, I’d pass.

    Question: he is certainly in the 5 and 10 category. Could they offer a low-ball one year contract in arbitration and by his signing elsewhere, could they get a draft choice in return? THAT would be a good return for an asset such as him.

    ??

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    1. I am willing to bet that the contract doesn’t start really until 2014 so he cannot play in affiliated games only workout in camp. No reason to send him to AAA and then back to Florida anyway

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      1. Matt, first once the phillies pulled the offer off the table couldnt gonzalez have signed with another team? if so why so cheap, it scares me. especially with three or four teams that were in on this kid, 12 million isnt a big risk. but why didnt another team go after him for such a cheap deal, The elbow might be a real big time risk, imo that other teams walked away. but i think this does end the kendrick era here.

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    2. They have to give him a qualifying offer to get a draft pick. That is likely to be about $14 mill for next season. I doubt Halladay is worth that.

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  7. People should calm down about this. 3 years, $12 million is what you pay a good back-up set up man (it’s what we paid JC Romero years ago), so this is a relatively low risk, moderately high upside, move. I like it in concept. If it doesn’t work out, the $ 4 million a year won’t break banks. What this move really does, however, is it permits the team to let guys like Kendrick and Halladay walk while they look for offense. I still think it’s possible the Phillies take on some salary from another team, perhaps in a waiver wire deal today or tomorrow (or if not, over the winter). The guy I keep looking at is Matt Kemp. He’s probably not the best example because the Dodgers seem to enjoy spending money, but someone like him.

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    1. You’re so correct ! Time to Let Roy and especially one pitch Kendrick walk. He can go pitch for Houston or the cubs, not with us.

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    2. +1, seriously. How much under 3/12 do these people *think* they’re going to get a real starting pitcher for?

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  8. September is incredibly important for Halladay. The doctors allegedly say that the velocity comes last. Well, it’s kind of the most important thing to a pitcher like Halladay, so hopefully he shows signs of improving in September. Honestly, given his performance, I would have a hard time giving him more than $5-7 million and that’s assuming he looks okay and can hit around 90. I feel bad for Roy Halladay, he literally went almost overnight (last game of 2011 to the ST 2012) from being the best, most dominant pitcher in baseball, to being average, at best. That’s what’s scary about pitchers.

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    1. Happens to almost all of the icons when they reach their mid-to-late thirties.
      Lee is next to fall off the cliff

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      1. It’s usually more gradual than a situation where, one game he’s throwing 92-94, then the next ST he can barely reach 90. Usually the progression takes a few years. This one was as abrupt as they come.

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  9. I like this much better than the original deal. They are way ahead if he works out and not out much if he doesn’t. It;s easy to pan everything that Reuben does these days, but this seems t be a risk worth taking.

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  10. Excellent, excellent deal. 4 million a year for a young, potentially #3 pitcher? If he puts up anything less than a 4 ERA its a steal imo. Just stay healthy

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  12. My feeling from hearing Reuben in several different interviews is that more changes are on the way. I don’t have any inside information or anything on specifics; it’s just a hunch

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    1. not just your imagination. But phillies were drafting later past few years. This year looks like they are back on their horse.

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  14. Gonzalez pitched in the 2009 and 2011 World Cup for the Cuban National Team. Between the two tournaments, Gonzalez went a combined 3-1 with a 2.91 ERA in seven games (six starts) and had 36 strikeouts in 34.0 innings pitched, an average of 9.5 SO/9.0 IP. In those 34.0 innings, he allowed 31 baserunners (23 H, 7 BB, HBP). Gonzalez will report to the Phillies Spring Training complex in Clearwater, Fla. and is expected to compete for a spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation in 2014.

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  15. I like this contract a lot more because he can be a replacement to Kendrick and come in at half (or more) of what Kendrick will probably get in arbitration. Better for the Phils to move on. They’d still need to go after a #3 for the rotation, but they’d have a lot more money available to do it with your #4 and #5 starters making under $5mil combined.

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  16. Doc gone KK gone. So lets keep pettieboner up and sign another FA
    Cole lee gonzo blank boner.
    Martin has to be pen pc. Let him just throw. Like him and jake. Lets sign another top tier pen pc too.

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      1. What do you think Kendrick will be looking for moneywise. I would keep him if they can do so reasonablely.

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        1. No way is Gonzalez top 5. Given what they are paying him I think there has to be serious concerns that he can stick as a starter.

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          2. he is absolutely a top prospect. every prospect has risks , his is a sketchy elbow , others have an odd swing , some cant get the ball over the plate , others are young and havent faced real competition

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  18. Ok so Martin hits the wall at 60 pitches at every start. So why are u letting a pitcher who can give you 4/5 innings every time. And keep trolling him out there?

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    1. Because at this point, who cares? Let him get the starting experience. It’s not like the team is fighting for a playoff spot. Come into spring training with the mindset that Martin will be a swingman and when he doesn’t do well, shift him to the bullpen. Pretty simple. I’ve heard both the TV guys and the radio guys comment that long term, Martin will be a bullpen arm. It seems to be the thought throughout the organization.

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      1. why waste starting on a future bullpen guy who is 24. and needs to start pitching 8th and 9th innings, to see what we have, man why cant you see, this guy is a one or two inning pitcher,, One of the most perfect guys i have seen to take over paps roll. but no lets start him ,omg. some people just dont see. shame.

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        1. On the off chance that he is able to stick as a starter, it would be huge since starters are waaaay more valuable than relievers. Like ugh said, there’s no point in throwing him in the pen now because this year doesn’t matter. They’re going to give him every opportunity to show them that he can start.

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        1. Dare say we copy the Cardinals formulae for winning!
          Though we did have Lee Thomas as our GM 20 some years ago and he was a Cardinal embryo.

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          1. Every organization should model themselves after the Cardinals IMO. I mean, the Phillies did do that with JA Happ and Vance Worley though, it’d be nice to see them do it a little more, especially considering how weak the pen’s been the last three years.

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      2. Samardzija is an interesting comp. If you look at their AAA seasons, their numbers are remarkably similar:

        Samardzija: 111.1 IP, 8.25 K/9, 5.42 BB/9, 4.37 ERA
        Martin: 115.1 IP, 8.33 K/9, 5.21BB/9, 4.12 ERA

        A big difference is that Samardzija did not have command struggles in the lower levels, while it’s plagued Martin his entire career. That said, starting his career in the pen seemed to help Samardzija iron out his control issues.

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  19. On a side note, does anyone think Ruben will let Roy walk and go hard after Tanaka? Some scouts have said he might’ve been picked first overall if he was draft eligible this year.

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    1. Unfortunately, Roy is making the decision to let him go to Free Agency an easier decision so far. A bad outing against the Cubs and Bernadina saved him against the Diamondbacks show he is not close to his old form.

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