MLB Trade Rumors: Brewers Interested In Gio Gonzalez, Red Sox, Indians Could Be Logical Destinations

The Washington Nationals don’t appear to be done trading away some of their most valuable assets. After dealing Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams last week, Gio Gonzalez could be the next player to go elsewhere.

The Washington Post’s Jorge Castillo first reported that Gonzalez cleared waivers, meaning he can be traded to any team. According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Nationals are expected to do just that.

In many ways, Gonzalez is the perfect trade candidate. He’s a veteran pitcher with playoff experience that’s set to become a free agent at the end of the season. There’s a good chance he won’t be back in Washington next year, anyway, and he can be a valuable player for a World Series contender.

Gonzalez, 32, has underperformed in 2018, going 7-11 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. Just one year removed from finishing sixth in the NL Cy Young race, he’s struck out 7.7 batters per nine innings while allowing 14 home runs. Gonzalez isn’t going to get a Game 1 or even a Game 2 start, but he can improve the rotation of a team that’s fighting to earn a playoff berth.

The Milwaukee Brewers seem to fit that description. Milwaukee owns the second NL Wild-Card spot with a month left in the regular season. They’ve got a 1.5-game lead over the Colorado Rockies and are two games in the loss column ahead of both the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Brewers are five games behind the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central, and their rotation doesn’t appear to be one that can realistically win the division. Seven NL rotations have a better ERA than that of Milwaukee. Rookie Freddy Peralta has a 5.63 ERA since the All-Star break and Brent Suter is done for the year because of Tommy John Surgery.

Milwaukee pursued a deal for Gonzalez hours before the July 31 deadline, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, but a trade was never made.

Morosi named the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians as landing spots that might make sense for Gonzalez since both teams are dealing with injuries in their rotation.

Chris Sale is on the DL for the second time this year and Boston has hit their first funk of the season. Eduardo Rodriguez is also on the DL.

Boston was rebuffed by Washington when they pursued reliever Kelvin Herrera, but they were informed that Gonzalez was available, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Cleveland is all but guaranteed to reach the playoffs, as well, because of their 13-game lead in the AL Central. They seem destined to finish as the AL’s No.3 seed, and the team’s biggest worry is getting their rotation right for the postseason.

Trevor Bauer and his team-leading 2.22 ERA remain on the DL, and it’s unknown if he’ll be able to start in the ALDS. Shane Bieber, Cleveland’s No.4 starter in Bauer’s absence, has a 5.70 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break.

Gonzalez can’t be traded any later than Friday if he’s going to be on a postseason roster.