MLB Rumors: Yankees, Gio Gonzalez Reach Agreement, $3 Million Base In Majors

The New York Yankees have added veteran pitcher Gio Gonzalez to their roster on a minor league deal, according to ESPN’s Major League Baseball (MLB) insider Buster Olney. The player and the franchise are said to have reached a verbal agreement Monday night.

The lefty pitcher has agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees which will have a $3 million base if he makes the majors. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that Gonzalez will have an opt-out on April 20 if he does not make the majors by then, while also receiving incentive-based payments depending on the number of games played.

The Yankees have zero risks riding on the deal and have simply added Gonzalez to cover for the injuries suffered by starting pitchers CC Sabathia and Luis Severino. There are now two rotation spots opened with the former struggling with a degenerative knee disorder and the latter out with a rotator cuff inflammation.

Gonzalez has reportedly been pitching at his agent Scott Boras’ training center in California but will be five weeks behind the rest of his new teammates going into spring training. He will have one-month to convince the Yankees to add him to the majors, if not he will have the option to opt-out of his contract.

The 33-year-old veteran left-hander went 10-11 with 4.21 ERA’s in 32 starts with the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers last season. Gonzalez’s strikeout rate has fallen; it was 7.8 batters per nine innings last season much lower than his numbers in the last three seasons. He was 8.4 batters in 2017 and 8.7 in 2016 and 2015.

Gonzalez also walked more batters last season than he did in 2017 but has started 31 or more games in every season but one since 2010. At least in terms of fitness, the Yankees are unlikely to have any concerns over the veteran pitcher.