Brewers sign LHP Gio Gonzalez

[Jopal78]

It is interesting though:

 

Chacin and Davies are cemented in the rotation. Woodruff is a pretty good bet to continue, then there is Gio, Burnes, Peralta, Anderson, and Jimmy Nelson for the final two rotation spots. At 750k Alex Wilson's spot on the roster going forward is probably tenuous, and Albers could be in trouble if Gonzalez hits the ground running.

[HarveysWBs]

FIP

 

Chacin 5.71

Peralta 5.83

Burnes 9.85

Albers 5.62

Wilson 5.30

Guerra 5.81

 

I'm sure some of these guys will come around as the season progresses, but the good new is Gio Gonzalez is a useful major league pitcher. He generally keeps the ball in the ballpark, and his FIP was 4.25 last year in arguably his worst full season as a pro.

Yankees didn't think he was useful and they have a need. He's different, I'm just not sure he's better.

 

Considering the recent track record of the Yankees identifying and developing successful starters, I would not count this as disqualifying. They may have something of an organizational problem in that area.

[Harold Hutchison]

Gio did pretty well.

 

In any case, if he is at Chase Anderson/Chacin level, he buys time for Burnes/Peralta to get their acts together.

[Jopal78]

Yankees didn't think he was useful and they have a need. He's different, I'm just not sure he's better.

 

The Yankees decision not to call Gonzalez up isn't solely related to his performance.

First, they got better production than expected out of Domingo German and Sabathia got healthy and has an 8 million dollar contract.

The Yankees are also paying around 40 million dollars for their trio of late inning relief: Chapman, Ottavino and Britton.

Being over the luxury tax threshold would add another 20% on to whatever Gonzalez was costing them. Which means they would be paying a long relief pitcher nearly 4 million, and if they had to use him as a starter his contract called for a $300k bonus per start, he could really push them even further over the threshold.

Each of these reasons including performance were likely the reason he wasn't called up and opted out.

[RollieTime]

I’m shocked he could be had for only $2 million even if he does have an additional $2 million in incentives. Great signing!

[Lathund]

Cheap enough to carry very little risk. A left-handed starter also helps out our mainly right-handed bullpen some. The question of course is what Gio has left in the tank, but the front office should have a decent grasp on that after last year.

 

On a sidenote, the FB/Curveball/Changeup arsenal is my preferred one for starters, in that it mixes velocity very well. The faster the fastball and, uh, curvier (slow) the curveball the better.

[pacopete4]

Gio Gonzalez had four major-league offers since opting out of his #Yankees minor-league contract before choosing the #Brewers. There were nine teams that expressed interest.

 

Wonder if a couple of those Twitter guys that predicted/sourced this signing will flex their Twitter muscles today at all.

 

Edit: Brewers Bob for the win.

[TURBO]

Odds are, he is a 5 inning pitcher on his best days. Would be nice to have a couple guys who could, on occasion go 7 innings, and normally go 6.

 

Other than Chacin, who do we have that isn't a 5 inning pitcher on his best days? Anderson?

 

Which is kind of why this doesn't excite me. Are we better from acquiring him? Honestly?

[adambr2]

Any chance that we are abandoning ship on Burnes/Peralta/Woodruff starting this year?

[jjgott]

Happy to have a veteran presence back in the rotation but it makes me wonder why we didn't just re-sign Miley?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Happy to have a veteran presence back in the rotation but it makes me wonder why we didn't just re-sign Miley?

 

I agree, but hindsight being 20/20, I'm sure they figured on better results from their young trio.

[cesser000]

Which is kind of why this doesn't excite me. Are we better from acquiring him? Honestly?

If this results in one of Woodruff/Burnes/Peralta moving back to the bullpen, then absolutely yes.

[JosephC]

Gio Gonzalez had four major-league offers since opting out of his #Yankees minor-league contract before choosing the #Brewers. There were nine teams that expressed interest.

 

Wonder if a couple of those Twitter guys that predicted/sourced this signing will flex their Twitter muscles today at all.

 

Edit: Brewers Bob for the win.

 

Why shouldn't they? This was a totally unexpected move that nobody other than an insider could have predicted!

[3and2Fastball]

Odds are, he is a 5 inning pitcher on his best days. Would be nice to have a couple guys who could, on occasion go 7 innings, and normally go 6.

 

Other than Chacin, who do we have that isn't a 5 inning pitcher on his best days? Anderson?

 

Which is kind of why this doesn't excite me. Are we better from acquiring him? Honestly?

 

Yes, they are better off with him, provided he can provide even a 4 something ERA. Our bullpen has been shockingly bad. This move provides some depth and if successful puts one of our young pitchers into the bullpen where they might be more productive.

[tmwiese55]

Well let's just hope he can be a solid mid level pitcher to the tune of 4ish era and gets his 5-6 innings most starts and hope Anderson can do that as well. This would at least provide some stability. Well then you have him, Chacin, Davies, Woodruff, Anderson. Plus Jimmy coming in soon to maybe help. Then if Burnes/Peralta come back in the pen it could stabilize the pen as well and have some of those multi inning guys that helped out so much last year. We'll see, we need some of these guys to start doing ok or this winning record isn't gonna last long.

 

I don't think Gio is done but I'm' also realistic that he's not gonna have a 3ish ERA like he did in 2017. Just basic mediocrity is a huge improvement for us right now.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I keep seeing Peralta mentioned as a potential reliever. Given how horrific he has been in the 1st inning, is that a good idea? Honestly, Burnes and Woodruff profile better as relievers, but they are probably forced to keep Woody in the rotation for now.

[3and2Fastball]

Does Peralta really have a 2nd pitch let alone a 3rd? Is my memory incorrect that he was pretty good out of the bullpen last year?

[wntrtxn21]

Gio certainly can't hurt CC's shell shocked, dinger happy staff. Brewer pitching is allowing HRs at a catastrophic rate. I believe they are now tied with the O's for the worst in all baseball giving up HRs. Chacin has already given up 2 more in 4 innings so far today. Gio isn't what he once was, but right now he is better than anybody not named Davies that CC has available.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Does Peralta really have a 2nd pitch let alone a 3rd? Is my memory incorrect that he was pretty good out of the bullpen last year?

 

He only made one true relief appearance in the regular season last year (not counting the game Jennings "started"), and I think one in the playoffs.

[cesser000]

He only made one true relief appearance in the regular season last year (not counting the game Jennings "started"), and I think one in the playoffs.

He was pretty darn good in that one postseason relief appearance --- 3 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 6 ks --- https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN201810160.shtml

[tmwiese55]

I don't think he'd be used in a 8th inning one inning situation. he'd be a longer guy to come in the 4th/5th and get 2-3. That's the scenario I was talking about anyway.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

He only made one true relief appearance in the regular season last year (not counting the game Jennings "started"), and I think one in the playoffs.

He was pretty darn good in that one postseason relief appearance --- 3 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 6 ks --- https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN201810160.shtml

 

He was. But that doesn't change the fact that his relief experience is an extremely small sample. I almost wonder if that was a piggyback situation where he knew he was pitching, though, too. Given his propensity to be bad in the 1st inning in his starts, I wouldn't trust him in a relief role. That said ... I don't trust anyone right now, so who knows?

[adambr2]

I keep seeing Peralta mentioned as a potential reliever. Given how horrific he has been in the 1st inning, is that a good idea? Honestly, Burnes and Woodruff profile better as relievers, but they are probably forced to keep Woody in the rotation for now.

 

He was pretty good albeit in limited time as a reliever for us.

 

I think guys have a different approach coming out the pen for a couple innings than knowing they have to pace themselves for a long outing, so it's hard to know or compare.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I keep seeing Peralta mentioned as a potential reliever. Given how horrific he has been in the 1st inning, is that a good idea? Honestly, Burnes and Woodruff profile better as relievers, but they are probably forced to keep Woody in the rotation for now.

 

He was pretty good albeit in limited time as a reliever for us.

 

I think guys have a different approach coming out the pen for a couple innings than knowing they have to pace themselves for a long outing, so it's hard to know or compare.

 

His relief career literally consists of one 1-inning appearance and two piggyback starts. I mean, I'm willing to give it a shot, but there is really no track record there.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Nothing says "Let's throw crap at the wall" quite like constantly shuffling guys between SP and RP