Red Sox Sign Marwin Gonzalez

[a700hitter]

Red Sox To Sign Marwin Gonzalez

 

By Connor Byrne | February 11, 2021 at 6:55pm CDT

The Red Sox have reached an agreement with free-agent utilityman Marwin Gonzalez, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. It’s a one-year, $3MM pact with upward of $1MM in incentives, Feinsand tweets.

This deal will reunite Gonzalez with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was Houston’s bench coach during Gonzalez’s best season in 2017. Gonzalez played with the Astros from 2012-18, and though it took a couple years for his offense to come around, he became a solid producer at the plate for the club during those last years. The switch-hitter amassed 2,265 plate appearances as an Astro from 2014-18 and batted .271/.328/.438 (111 wRC+) with 70 home runs. He also lined up at every position but pitcher and catcher while with the Astros.

Gonzalez parlayed his all-around success with the Astros into a two-year, $21MM contract with the Twins entering 2019. He continued to provide impressive defensive flexibility in Minnesota, taking the field at all of his previous spots except center field, but his offense faded. The 31-year-old concluded his Twins tenure with a subpar line of .248/.311/.387 (85 wRC+) and 20 homers in 662 trips to the plate.

Although he didn’t produce as hoped as a Twin, it isn’t a surprise Gonzalez garnered interest from several teams this free-agency period. The Blue Jays, one of Boston’s division rivals, were also among the teams fighting for him, per Feinsand. Like fellow new Red Sox utilitman Enrique Hernandez, Gonzalez figures to play all over the diamond for the club. That should include the outfield, as the Red Sox traded one of their previous starters – Andrew Benintendi – on Wednesday.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/02/red-sox-to-sign-marwin-gonzalez.html

[jacksonianmarch]

Turns out he can’t hit when he doesn’t know what’s coming

[mvp 78]

Turns out he can’t hit when he doesn’t know what’s coming

 

Pedroia will have all the time in the world to play with his smart watch.

[a700hitter]

Bloom felt a burning need to spend $11 million of his $25 million 2021 FA budget on 2 utility guys. I don’t get it.

[jacksonianmarch]

These are the kinds of guys you add when you just need some shoring up of a good team. These aren’t the guys you add to be the foundation of a team. The fact that you subtracted JBJ and Beni and added Cordero, Marwin and Kike doesn’t mean you improved because you brought in 3 guys. I’m wondering if the last two are pump and dumps and Bloom legitimately thinks Cordero has a shot at being anything but a Bo Jackson lite

[moonslav59]

These are the kinds of guys you add when you just need some shoring up of a good team. These aren’t the guys you add to be the foundation of a team. The fact that you subtracted JBJ and Beni and added Cordero, Marwin and Kike doesn’t mean you improved because you brought in 3 guys. I’m wondering if the last two are pump and dumps and Bloom legitimately thinks Cordero has a shot at being anything but a Bo Jackson lite

 

These are short term bridge signings to help us look near respectable as we punt the major decisions to next winter.

 

Don't read too much into minor deals.

[Nick]

These are short term bridge signings to help us look near respectable as we punt the major decisions to next winter.

 

Don't read too much into minor deals.

 

Yep. I mean this in a good way. We've thrown enough crap at the wall. Hope few of them stick. It takes awhile to get to the top after cliff diving.

[Swiharts Ghost]

Love this signing and it’s kinda brilliant .I actually am blown away by how much Bloom has done this winter and this to me is a perfect fit and just more proof .Excited for this player and this team now .

[jad]

WE'RE SAVED!!!! And if we hadn't gotten rid of Mookie, there would have been no money available to make deals like this!

[moonslav59]

Yep. I mean this in a good way. We've thrown enough crap at the wall. Hope few of them stick. It takes awhile to get to the top after cliff diving.

 

These deals weren't meant to get us to the top.

 

They are all short term deals to bide time while our farm gets stronger and deeper.

 

We may be able to deal a few of them at the deadline, of if everything gels, we make the playoffs and have some excitement as we do it allover again, next winter- hopefully with a better idea of what we have on the farm, and a lot more money to spend to the top after the cliff.

 

Bloom has added a lot of farm pieces, a few high ceiling gambles, and some decent players that have options for 2022 and EHern signed for a whopping 2 years.

 

If the plan is to go over the tax line, next winter- maybe by $19M, our options and choices will be way different from this winter's bridge signings.

 

This is about being somewhat respectable, this year, while not damaging our long term outlook and even enhancing it.

 

Some of the crap may stick, and we bring em back. Some will be gone.

 

We'll be much better in 2022.

[moonslav59]

WE'RE SAVED!!!! And if we hadn't gotten rid of Mookie, there would have been no money available to make deals like this!

 

Yes, I wish we had Mazza, Weber and Bozo the clown starting for us as we watched Betts being intentionally walked, all year.

 

That would have been fun.

[moonslav59]

Love this signing and it’s kinda brilliant .I actually am blown away by how much Bloom has done this winter and this to me is a perfect fit and just more proof .Excited for this player and this team now .

 

Can I have what you're smoking?

[cp176]

Everyone of these deals Bloom has made is because of the inept stupidity of DD. Man if had never been hired we likely would have become the Yankees of the 20's and 30's. I'm so excited right now for the next generation of Red Sox fans.

[notin]

WE'RE SAVED!!!! And if we hadn't gotten rid of Mookie, there would have been no money available to make deals like this!

 

And maybe if we had not gotten rid of Mookie, he'd be gone now anyway.

[notin]

Not a big Marwin fan, but, hey, maybe this is your 2B, moon...

[notin]

Everyone of these deals Bloom has made is because of the inept stupidity of DD. Man if had never been hired we likely would have become the Yankees of the 20's and 30's. I'm so excited right now for the next generation of Red Sox fans.

 

Well, if the Sox still had a minor league system and did not have nearly $250mill tied up in MLB players with aging contracts, maybe Mookie is still here...

[oldtimer]

These are short term bridge signings to help us look near respectable as we punt the major decisions to next winter.

 

Don't read too much into minor deals.

 

We used the $3 mil from the Beni deal to pick up another leftfielder and backup for Dalbec at 1st base. It is a bridge deal but makes sense to me.

[notin]

We used the $3 mil from the Beni deal to pick up another leftfielder and backup for Dalbec at 1st base. It is a bridge deal but makes sense to me.

 

If we needed all that, I would have preferred Brad Miller, who is a better hitter (OPS+ of 112 since 2018 as opposed to Marwin's 93), and plays the same positions the Sox might need (1b, 2B, corner OF). It's hard to compare defensive abilities of the two, since neither really has huge samples at any one position recently.

 

Oh, and Miller is not a cheater (as far as I know)...

[Bellhorn04]

Jeezus, what a depressing thread this is.

[Bellhorn04]

Well, if the Sox still had a minor league system and did not have nearly $250mill tied up in MLB players with aging contracts, maybe Mookie is still here...

 

You'll be saying that till your dying day, won't you?

 

The timeline sure suggests they signed the extensions with Sale and Bogey AFTER the failed negotiations with Betts.

[notin]

You'll be saying that till your dying day, won't you?

 

The timeline sure suggests they signed the extensions with Sale and Bogey AFTER the failed negotiations with Betts.

 

So that means anyone complaining about trading away Betts is 100% incorrect and it was the right move?

[Bellhorn04]

So that means anyone complaining about trading away Betts is 100% incorrect and it was the right move?

 

No, it just means it wasn't because of DD bloating the payroll.

[notin]

No, it just means it wasn't because of DD bloating the payroll.

 

So you don't think bloating the payroll impacts the ability to sign other players?

 

Mookie's demands were outrageous, but other teams dedicated amounts very close to other players. Anaheim committed more money to Trout. Philly committed a similar amount to Harper. And yet both had lower payrolls than the Sox...

[mvp 78]

Jeezus, what a depressing thread this is.

 

I'm going to drink a six pack tonight, put Willie Nelson on and re-read this thread.

[mvp 78]

Anyway, does the signing of Marwin mean that Chavis is 100% going to WOO?

[Bellhorn04]

So you don't think bloating the payroll impacts the ability to sign other players?

 

Mookie's demands were outrageous, but other teams dedicated amounts very close to other players. Anaheim committed more money to Trout. Philly committed a similar amount to Harper. And yet both had lower payrolls than the Sox...

 

The point I'm trying to make is that when they were talking to Mookie, they still hadn't signed the extensions with Sale and Bogey, so they had much more room.

 

We're just going to have to face the facts that they could have kept Mookie if they were willing to meet his price, but they chose not to.

[notin]

Anyway, does the signing of Marwin mean that Chavis is 100% going to WOO?

 

As of right now, there is room for both. Soxprospects.com has both on the Red Sox roster, but then they also list 27 players (including Sawamura). So someone, possibly Chavis, is going somewhere. But then it could also be Austin Brice, as they list 9 relief pitchers. Or Taylor, who has an option but is also one of only 2 LHP in the pen.

 

It does probably mean Mitch Moreland is not coming back...

[notin]

The point I'm trying to make is that when they were talking to Mookie, they still hadn't signed the extensions with Sale and Bogey, so they had much more room.

 

We're just going to have to face the facts that they could have kept Mookie if they were willing to meet his price, but they chose not to.

 

They did have more room, but both that does not mean the existing deals to Price and Eovaldi had no impact...

[cp176]

Jeezus, what a depressing thread this is.

 

I know right - I was trying to lighten the mood but in fact I brought up the name of the dark man from the past.

[cp176]

Well, if the Sox still had a minor league system and did not have nearly $250mill tied up in MLB players with aging contracts, maybe Mookie is still here...

 

 

That is what I am talking about notin and you know that I am serious.