Report: Brewers sign Gio Gonzalez to 1-year, $2M deal
Gio Gonzalez's 2018 tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers was a short one, but he must have liked his surroundings.
The Brewers have reportedly signed the veteran left-hander to a one-year, $2-million contract, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
His guaranteed deal also includes $2 million in performance bonuses. The bonuses in Gonzalez's contract are based on a point system rewarding him for appearances rather than games started, according to Rosenthal, who says that structure protects the veteran if he's used as an opener or after an opener.
Gonzalez opted out of his minor-league contract with the New York Yankees on Monday after making three starts in Triple-A.
In 15 innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the 33-year-old posted a 6.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP with 19 strikeouts.
In 2018, Gonzalez appeared in five regular-season games with Milwaukee after he was acquired from the Washington Nationals. In 25 1/3 innings, he authored a 2.13 ERA, 3.63 FIP, and 0.95 WHIP with 22 strikeouts. He also made two appearances in the postseason, pitching three innings and allowing two earned runs.
The Brewers have been searching for starting pitching. Their rotation has posted the highest ERA (5.74) and opponent's batting average (.284) in the National League, and the team's bullpen leads the NL in innings pitched (96 2/3).
Brewers starters - 2019 stats
| PITCHER | GS | IP | ERA | WHIP | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jhoulys Chacin | 5 | 24.1 | 5.92 | 1.40 | .225 |
| Zach Davies | 5 | 27.1 | 1.65 | 1.35 | .267 |
| Brandon Woodruff | 5 | 26.1 | 5.81 | 1.48 | .283 |
| *Corbin Burnes | 4 | 17.2 | 10.70 | 2.15 | .380 |
| Freddy Peralta | 4 | 17.2 | 7.13 | 1.53 | .274 |
*Optioned to Triple-A on April 19
Gonzalez is an affordable, innings-eating option for the Brewers. He's pitched at least 158 2/3 innings in every season since 2010 and owns 127 career wins.