Mike Gonzalez Signs with Washington Nationals

Mike Gonzalez has signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  Gonzalez is set to prepare for the season at the Nationals extended spring training complex in Viera, Florida.

In late April, Gonzalez’s agent, Scott Boras, told reporters that his client would sign in the next 10 days.  While it’s been a bit over 10 days, Gonzalez has finally found his new club following his extended stay on the free agent market.

During the offseason and into the spring and regular season, Gonzalez was linked to numerous clubs including the Red Sox, Rangers, Rays, Yankees, Cardinals, A’s, White Sox, Indians and Angels.  The veteran left-hander appealed to teams because of his successful track record and late-game experience.

While these were seen as benefits, Gonzalez’s recent performance and injury troubles caused teams to shy away from the southpaw.  These worries ultimately resulted in a minor league deal with little guarantees.

Before signing with the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 2010 season, Gonzalez was one of the most successful left-handed relievers in baseball.  Since then, Gonzalez has only mustered an ERA in the 4.00’s with a decreased strikeout rate.

The Nationals bullpen has managed to turn in middle-of-the-pack numbers despite the absence of their closer, Drew Storen.  Another late-inning arm, Brad Lidge, has also missed time this season to injury.

At this point Henry Rodriguez is acting as the team’s closer.  Veterans Tom Gorzelanny and Sean Burnett are the current left-handed options out of the Nationals ‘pen.

Taking a flier such as this on Gonzalez would seem to make sense for any club, and it will be interesting to see if he can become a successful option for the Nationals this season.

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