FRIDAY: The Orioles have announced that Gonzalez has cleared waivers and has officially been released.
WEDNESDAY: The Orioles have placed righty Miguel Gonzalez on release waivers, according to Eduarco Encina of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Gonzalez, 31, had agreed to a $5.1MM arbitration salary for the coming season, and the club would remain obligated for about a quarter of that (45 days pay) if he isn’t claimed.
Gonzalez had been a mainstay in the Orioles rotation dating back to his MLB debut in 2012. From that point through 2014, he consistently produced excellent results — he carried a 3.45 ERA over 435 2/3 innings — but his peripherals always suggested a fall-off. That’s exactly what occurred last year, as Gonzalez produced a 4.91 ERA over 144 2/3 innings.
The Orioles could have elected to option Gonzalez, as Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com notes on Twitter. But he’s shown only an upper-80s fastball this spring, and that was reflected in the results. Over 19 1/3 innings, Gonzalez permitted 21 earned runs on a troubling 35 hits, and walked six while striking out only eight opposing hitters.
With Gonzalez leaving the picture, it remains unclear what Baltimore will do with the back of the rotation. Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson would appear to be options, and veteran swingman Vance Worley remains available as well. Parting with Gonzalez does, at least, seem to be an implicit vote of confidence in the health of Kevin Gausman, who may open the year with a brief DL stint but is expected to be back in action in short order.
Gotta make up for the money spent, somehow. Wonder if Alvarez can pitch?
Being the starting pitcher who got cut by the Orioles creates the type of psychological wound that just doesn’t heal.
Hahaha that’s hilarious. But yeah, I can’t help but agree.
Don’t see him making it through waivers.
No one will take a $5 million flier I don’t think. He should sign somewhere fairly quickly though and step right into someone’s rotation
I sure Hope you’re right. Before he got injured about a year ago he was amazing. Hate to see this happen to any good pitcher; I don’t believe 31 is too old. He was my favorite Oriole. I am so bummed.
My jaw just hit the floor! He’ll probably get pick up by another AL East team. Just because of his record against the AL East. Sure his peripherals always pointed to worse numbers. But he always had ice water in his veins. I’ll really miss that guy just for his toughness.
Miguel is definitely cold blooded. Smart pitcher with a lot of poise, too bad he seems to have lost something.
Surely there is a rotation or two that could make room for him. There are worse pitchers with a starting job this year.
Wow! This is a shock!
He was expected to make the rotation right? If so this eye popping considering that the O’s are the team in baseball that REALLY needs quality starters. Even if he under-performed, how bad could he be considering the level of competition in B’More. This is no slight to the O’s hurlers, it would just appear that if you need pitching, you do what is necessary to keep the pitching you have as you search for upgrades and replacements.
I think they view Tyler Wilson or Mike Wright as being a viable alternative.
Now I have no doubt that Gonzalez will win at least 15 games for whoever picks him up. It’s the luck the O’s have with starting pitchers.
That’s messed up. I keep wondering why the O’s haven’t addressed pitching, but then again, $5.1MM is quite a sum to take a chance on a pitcher that was released by a staff that is not considered the best. So, I assume he clears waivers, and if he has been ourighted before, he can elect free agency and decline the option. That would be the ultimate stab to the gut if your 15 game prediction comes true.
That is what usually happens too. I’ve seen it for many years!!
No u haven’t, your just being another cynical Baltimore sports fan. The only pitcher with any real success after leaving has been Arrieta and he was awful with the Orioles. They gave him chance after chance and everyone knew he could be something but it just wasn’t working in Baltimore. Plus he has only had one good season, not like he is a sure fire lock now to be in the hall. Gonzalez was a good pitcher and a fan favorite but he has been bad for a year now and he makes over 5 million. I’d rather see Tyler Wilson and/or Mike Wright, both minor league pitcher of the year winners, get an opportunity.
They have 2 minor leaguers who will be better than Gonzalez in the rotation. It makes me wonder if they’re closing in on a trade to acquire a SP.
Both of you guys make all the sense in the world, but what baffles me is their intent. When you place a guy on release waivers, you have subsequently waived your rights to attempt to send him to the minors, basically granting him his total release. So, any club that does not want to assume his $5.1MM can immediately start negotiating with him in order for him to go to them after he clears waivers.
My thoughts are, if pitching is your weakness, and you at one point agreed that he was worth the money you gave him, why not waive him with the intent to send him to the minors? Even if he elects free agency you tried to at least recoup a pitcher that was at one point valuable to your organization. Even if you have 2 or more alternatives that are more worthy of the spot he once occupied. Try to make him a depth piece without paying his arb money just seems more logical to me.
I completely agree with you. As an O’s fan it really makes me wonder what direction they are taking with their pitching. I’m thinking maybe they try to resign him to a cheaper contract so they don’t have a minor leaguer playing for $5 million.
Ahhhhhh…… Never thought of that. The old failed negotiation leads to release waivers. You have to be right!
I’m not 100% sure on this, but I believe that if he were outrighted, he would remain on the books for 5.1 million. This way, they only have to pay him about 1. 3 million
If they release him before opening day they are obligated to pay him for 45 days (about 1/4 of the nut) ..I stepped into a huge argument yesterday with the bunch of hobbits that run another Orioles fan site. I wont name it, who swore up and down that if the Orioles Release Kim they will owe him all of his two years of pay….not ..They should dump his as well ..I’m a bit saddened to see Miggy down like this..I wouldn’t care a whit if they release Kim, especially the way he’s acting about the whole thing……If Orioles scouts overestimated his ability..so did he.
As for this Year I hope they pick up another starter. The O’s have actually got some very good prospects despite what everyone has read.. Arms that might help this year are Dylan Bundy, who will be starting the year working out of the Bull pen, and Ariel Miranda the Cuban defector. He signed 10 months ago has a lot of hopes (quietly) pinned on him. He was added to the 40 man roster a few weeks ago. He’s a tall lefty with command of 4 pitches and a respectable 91-93 MPH fastball. His out pitch is a nasty splitter. Really hoping this guy works out. Jason Garcia is starting at Bowie this year and with his year of ML experience he could be back up next year.. Then there are Chris Lee and Hunter Harvey the two best arms in the organization and of course, Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright.
The “hobbits” might be correct or they might not. You wouldn’t know without reading Kim’s specific contract. Arbitration contracts, like with Gonzalez, use the uniform player’s contract whose paragraph 2 termination provisions (see Article IX of the CBA) provide for the 30/45 day rule. Free agent contracts are not required to follow this rule. The $2.8 mil (2016) and $4.2 mil (2017) for Kim might or might not be guaranteed. It depends on the negotiated terms for termination in Kim’s individual contract. Same as how he negotiated to be non-arbitration eligible. This is why teams can’t release players with albatross multi-year contracts and just pay the 30 or 45 days of the salary for the current year.
Ariel Miranda? I must have missed that signing. 4 pitches and a mid-90’s fastball works for me. I heard Bundy might have a chance to start later in the year.
He had an option but if they sent him down they would still owe him the 5 million. By releasing him they only owe 45 days of pay. They don’t want to pay him 5 million to pitch in AAA
Those hobbits are right. He signed a guaranteed contract. They owe him the 7 million whether he accepted going to AAA, he makes the club, or they release him. It’s a guaranteed contract…guaranteed.
I wonder if the Angels will take a flyer on him?
I could see the Braves or Angels going after him. They both need rotation help.
Giving the young guys a shot!!!
His career 3.82 ERA looks pretty good. His career 4.70 FIP looks pretty poor. Honestly, I’m surprised that he lasted this long.
Why do the O’s only owe a quarter of his salary?
Don’t really get the responses here. I was just as surprised as everyone that he got cut but then I saw his spring ERA of 10 and his 2015 ERA of 5, as well as his career FIP of nearly 5. What is the issue here?
He looked like a solid option for a rotation spot, and not even that maybe a bullpen spot, getting down right waived is the shocking part since he’s known a tad bit out of Baltimore (heck I’m from Michigan and I’ve heard of this guy.) it’s just that you don’t see 5 mill contracts in the minors
Wonder if the Phils will take a flyer on him, veteran guy to absorb innings and work the younger guys in…
I don’t think the Phil go this route, Gonzalez isn’t exactly known for eating innings.
With the Yankees losing Bryan Mitchell I would not be surprised they don’t swoop down and sign him. Seems like a reasonable alternative to Luis Cessa and a good bet to handle starts WHEN Sabathia or Tanaka or Pineda go down, and one or more of them will at some point. But it would not be a guaranteed starter’s position, so not exactly the right fit from the start. Yankees would love his bulldog nature and be glad they didnt have to face him.
Yeah he had decent career numbers against the Yanks. But he pitched better against all the other teams in the AL East.
Boston 6 W 1 L 3.27 era
New York 3W 4 L 4.03 era
Tampa Bay 6 W 4 L 3.02 era
Toronto 7 W 3 L 2.61 era
Some of the teams he was the best against(era wise) were the ones he saw the most. That is the hallmark of a smart pitcher.
Being an O’s fan I’d hate to face him 3 to 4 times a season.