“After two amazing years in Japan, it’s time for me to say goodbye,” González says in his statement. “I’m incredibly grateful to my teammates, coaches, and fans for welcoming me with open arms. Despite the language barrier, we formed a bond with ease, making every moment on the field special. Playing here has been a life-changing experience, especially getting to share it with my family. Japan will always hold a special place in our hearts. I’m filled with gratitude for the opportunity, the memories, and the friendships made along the way. Thank you for welcoming me into your world and for the endless support. You have all my respect. Arigatou gozaimasu.”

González, now 35, got his professional start when the Cubs signed him as an international amateur out of Venezuela and he made his minor league debut in 2006. In the 2011 Rule 5 draft, the Astros had the first pick since they were rebuilding at that time and lost 106 games that year. They used that first pick to take Rhiner Cruz from the Mets but also apparently had their eye on González. With the 23rd pick of the draft, the Red Sox took González and promptly flipped him to the Astros for Marco Duarte.

The second of those pickups ended up being far more impactful for the franchise, as Cruz tossed just 76 1/3 innings for the Astros, posting a 5.31 earned run average over the 2012 and 2013 campaigns before going into journeyman mode for the rest of his career.

González would eventually become a solid multi-positional piece for the Astros, though not right away. In 441 plate appearances over 2012 and 2013, he hit just .227/.266/.323. That production translated to a 59 wRC+, indicating he was 41% below league average. The Astros didn’t seem to mind much as they were still quite bad at that time, losing 107 and 111 games in those two seasons respectively. González was at least able to provide them defensively versatility, spending time at second base, third base and shortstop.

He was able to break out in 2014, hitting .277/.327/.400 for a wRC+ of 110. He also added first base and outfield to his defensive repertoire that year. He would continue to produce in roughly similar fashion in following seasons as the Astros emerged from their rebuild and became the perennial powerhouse that they still are today.

From 2014 to 2018, González got into 643 games for the Astros and stepped to the plate 2,265 times. He slashed .271/.328/.438 in that time for a 111 wRC+ while bouncing all around the diamond, playing everywhere except the battery.

He also got into 30 postseason games in that time, including 18 as part of the 2017 club’s World Series run, though that title is now mired in controversy with the revelation of Houston’s cheating scandal. Data from the scandal points to González as one of the biggest users of the trashcan-banging scheme. His 144 wRC+ and 4.4 wins above replacement from FanGraphs that year are both easily the bests of his career, as he otherwise never topped 111 wRC+ or 1.8 fWAR. Though he later apologized for the team’s actions, the first position player on the club to do so.

He reached free agency after 2018 and signed a two-year, $21MM deal with the Twins going into 2019. His bat dipped a bit in his first year in Minnesota, at least relative to the league. His .264/.322/.414 batting line was fairly similar to his previous five years, but 2019 was the “juiced ball” season with huge offensive numbers around the league, so González’s production led to a 94 wRC+. It fell more significantly in the shortened 2020 campaign, with González slashing .211/.286/.320.

Going into 2021, the Red Sox gave him a $3MM deal, hoping that his most recent performance was just a small sample blip in the odd circumstances of the pandemic. Unfortunately, that bet didn’t pan out, as González hit .202/.281/.285 before being released in August. He then returned to the Astros but hit just .176/.222/.441 in 14 games for them down the stretch. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees going into 2022 and got into 86 games for that club, but hit .185/.255/.321 in those.

After three consecutive rough seasons in the majors, he headed overseas. He signed with the Buffaloes going into 2023 on a deal that paid him $1.5MM. He hit .217/.266/.385 in 84 games for that club last year. He returned for 2024 but dealt with injuries and only got into 23 games, per Yakyu Cosmopolitan on X.

González will primarily be remembered for that strong run with the Astros, which will provide fond memories to some fans while others will dismiss his accomplishments due to his involvement in the electronic sign-stealing scheme.

Regardless of how one feels about that, the record books have him with 3,882 plate appearances in 1,139 major league games. He collected 888 hits, including 183 doubles and 107 home runs. He scored 420 runs and drove in 415. He slashed .252/.310/.399 for a wRC+ of 94. FanGraphs considered him to have been worth 10.9 wins above replacement while Baseball Reference credits him with 14.3 WAR. B-Ref lists his major league earnings at just over $37MM, with González likely getting that up to around $40MM with the money he made in Japan. MLBTR salutes him on his unique career and wishes him the best in whatever comes next.

Gonzalez, 34 in March, spent the 2022 season as a utility option off the bench for the Yankees, slashing .185/.255/.321 with six home runs across 207 plate appearances. While the bat didn’t really show up, the veteran was generally a positive contributor on defense, appearing at every position bar catcher and center-field.

That’s generally been the case for Gonzalez over a 12-year big league career that saw him spend his first seven seasons in Houston, and then stints in Minnesota and Boston, before a return to Houston and a season in the Bronx this year. Outside of a .303/.377/.530 year in 2017, the switch-hitting Gonzalez has never been an elite hitter, and owns a career .252/.310/.399 line. He’s made up for that with his defensive strength and versatility though, and has compiled 11.1 fWAR over his career.

The production’s been in decline for a few years though, and since 2020 Gonzalez has hit just .198/.272/.313 with a steady increase in strikeouts. That’s been good for a wRC+ of just 63, or 37% below the league average. That period’s also seen Gonzalez bounce around the league a bit, suiting up for four different teams during that time. 2020 saw him play out the second year of a two-year, $21MM deal with the Twins, before he inked a one-year, $3MM pact with the Red Sox in 2021. Boston designated him for assignment late in the season, and he returned to Houston that year to serve as a bench piece down the stretch. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal last winter, but were impressed enough in spring training to add him to the big league roster on opening day, and he held his spot all season.

The Buffaloes are the defending NPB champions, having won the Japan Series 4-2 over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows this year, their second straight season playing in the Japan Series.

Here is the full roster for the Yankees, as they get set to take on the Astros:

Right-Handed Pitchers

• Miguel Castro
• Gerrit Cole
• Domingo Germán
• Clay Holmes
• Jonathan Loáisiga
• Frankie Montas
• Clarke Schmidt
• Luis Severino
• Jameson Taillon (Game 1 starter)
• Lou Trivino
• Greg Weissert

Left-Handed Pitchers

• Nestor Cortes
• Wandy Peralta

Catchers

• Kyle Higashioka
• Jose Trevino

Infielders

• Matt Carpenter
• Josh Donaldson
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• Oswald Peraza
• Anthony Rizzo
• Gleyber Torres

Outfielders

• Harrison Bader
• Oswaldo Cabrera
• Aaron Judge
• Tim Locastro

Designated Hitter

• Giancarlo Stanton

The injury sustained by Hicks has led to a domino effect, necessitating some of today’s switches. For the last two games of the ALDS, Hicks started in left field with Oswaldo Cabrera at short, bumping Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the bench. After Hicks was injured yesterday, Kiner-Falefa was eventually installed at short with Cabrera going out to the left field. Without Hicks, it seems possible that the Yanks will use Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader and Cabrera as their regular outfield mix. That subtracts Cabrera from the infield picture, which Peraza will now step into. Gonzalez is capable of playing anywhere, though he hit just .185/.255/.321 this year. It seems the Yanks would prefer the rookie Peraza, who hit .306/.404/.429 in his 18-game debut this year.

Benintendi underwent hamate surgery in early September and has recently been working out, trying to get healthy enough to rejoin the club. However, recent reporting indicated he’s been experiencing continued soreness, leading to an injection in his wrist. With him not able to return, Cabrera could be in line for regular outfield duty. Giancarlo Stanton could theoretically be an option, having played 38 games in the outfield this year, though the Yanks might also opt to keep him as the designated hitter.

Similar to Benintendi, LeMahieu has been out of action for a while and has been trying to get healthy enough to return. His absence has been due to a ligament issue with the second toe of his right foot. It appears that he hasn’t recuperated enough to get a roster spot. With LeMahieu’s lingering issue, Cabrera likely in the outfield and Kiner-Falefa struggling, Peraza has been swapped in for Gonzalez to contend for shortstop playing time.

As for Montas, he was the Yankees’ big deadline acquisition for the pitching staff. However, he struggled badly after coming over from the A’s. He had a 3.18 ERA with Oakland but then a 6.35 ERA after the deal. It’s possible that shoulder issues were hampering him, as he missed a few starts prior to the trade and was eventually placed on the IL by the Yanks due to shoulder inflammation. He hasn’t been fully stretched out and won’t be a candidate for a starting job, though manager Aaron Boone recently said Montas could throw some multi-inning outings.

With the additions of Montas and Weissert and the subtraction of Luetge, the Yankees are left with Wandy Peralta as the only lefty in their bullpen. The Astros are very right-handed, having just two lefties in their lineup, though the two are Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. It seems the Yanks have a bit more faith in some of their right-handers to face the middle of the Houston lineup, with Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loáisiga and Miguel Castro perhaps in line to try to quell Alvarez and Tucker.

American League West

Houston Astros:

• Selected contract of RHP Hunter Brown
• Selected contract of C Yainer Diaz
• Corresponding moves: IF Niko Goodrum and RHP Peter Solomon designated for assignment

Los Angeles Angels:

• Selected contract of OF Ryan Aguilar
• Selected contract of RHP Zack Weiss
• Corresponding moves: OF Steven Duggar and INF Jose Rojas designated for assignment

Oakland Athletics

• Selected contract of LHP Ken Waldichuk from Triple-A Las vegas
• Recalled OF Cody Thomas from Triple-A Las Vegas
• Corresponding move: RHP David McKay designated for assignment

Seattle Mariners

• Reinstated LHP Matthew Boyd from 60-day injured list
• Recalled OF Taylor Trammell from Triple-A Tacoma
• Corresponding moves: None required

Texas Rangers

• Selected contract of RHP Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Round Rock
• Recalled OF Nick Solak from Triple-A Round Rock
• Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Josh Sborz to 60-day injured list

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

• Recalled OF Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte
• Recalled RHP Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte
• Corresponding move: None required

Cleveland Guardians

• Recalled SS Ernie Clement from Triple-A Columbus
• Reinstated RHP Cody Morris from 60-day injured list
• Corresponding move: Designated RHP Anthony Castro for assignment

Detroit Tigers

• Recalled 1B Spencer Torkelson from Triple-A Toledo
• Selected contract of INF Ryan Kreidler from Triple-A Toledo
• Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Rony Garcia to 60-day injured list

Kansas City Royals

• Selected contract of RHP Daniel Mengden from Triple-A Omaha
• Recalled OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Omaha
• Corresponding move: None required

Minnesota Twins

• Added LHP Austin Davis (previously claimed off waivers from Red Sox) to active roster
• Selected contract of OF Billy Hamilton from Triple-A St. Paul
• Corresponding move: Transferred OF Trevor Larnach to 60-day injured list

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

• Selected contract of 1B Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Norfolk
• Recalled LHP DL Hall from Triple-A Norfolk
• Corresponding move: Designated INF Richie Martin for assignment

Boston Red Sox

• Recalled C Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester
• Selected contract of RHP Eduard Bazardo
• Corresponding moves: None required

New York Yankees

• Recalled SS Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
• Activated INF Marwin Gonzalez from paternity list
• Corresponding moves: None required

Tampa Bay Rays

• Reinstated RHP Matt Wisler from the 15-day injured list
• Recalled INF Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham
• Corresponding moves: None required

Toronto Blue Jays

• Recalled RHP Casey Lawrence from Triple-A Buffalo
• Added OF Bradley Zimmer (claimed off waivers from Phillies this week) to active roster
• Corresponding moves: None required

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Selected contract of IF Wilmer Difo from Triple-A Reno
• Reinstated RHP Keynan Middleton and LHP Kyle Nelson from 15-day injured list
• Corresponding move: Designated RHP Noe Ramirez for assignment

Colorado Rockies

• Recalled INF Alan Trejo from Triple-A Albuquerque
• Recalled RHP Chad Smith from Triple-A Albuquerque
• Corresponding moves: None required

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Reinstated LHP Clayton Kershaw from 15-day injured list
• Recalled 3B Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City
• Corresponding moves: None required

San Diego Padres

• Recalled INF Matt Beaty from Triple-A El Paso
• Recalled RHP Reiss Knehr from Triple-A El Paso
• Corresponding moves: None required

San Francisco Giants

• Selected contract of recently-acquired OF Lewis Brinson
• Recalled IF David Villar from Triple-A Sacramento
• Corresponding move: Outrighted LHP Jonathan Bermudez to Triple-A Sacramento

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• Selected contract of RHP Jeremiah Estrada from Triple-A Iowa
• Recalled INF David Bote from Triple-A Iowa
• Corresponding move: Transferred Wade Miley from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Cincinnati Reds

• Selected contract of 2B/3B Spencer Steer
• Selected contract of RHP Fernando Cruz
• Corresponding moves: Transferred INF Mike Moustakas and RHP Jeff Hoffman from 10-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Milwaukee Brewers

• Recalled RHP Luis Perdomo from Triple-A Nashville
• Recalled OF Esteury Ruiz from Triple-A Nashville
• Corresponding moves: None required

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from Triple-A Indianapolis
• Recalled OF Calvin Mitchell from Triple-A Indianapolis
• Corresponding moves: None required

St. Louis Cardinals

• Selected contract of OF Ben DeLuzio from Triple-A Memphis
• Recalled RHP James Naile from Triple-A Memphis
• Corresponding moves: None required

National League East

Atlanta Braves

• Reinstated IF Orlando Arcia from 10-day injured list
• Added recently-claimed RHP Jesse Chavez to active roster
• Corresponding moves: None required

Miami Marlins*

• To recall OF Bryan De La Cruz
• To recall RHP Jeff Brigham
• Corresponding moves: None required

New York Mets

• Selected contract of INF Deven Marrero from Triple-A Syracuse
• Recalled RHP Adonis Medina from Triple-A Syracuse
• Corresponding move: Designated RHP Connor Grey for assignment

Philadelphia Phillies

• Selected contract of RHP Vinny Nittoli from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
• Recalled C Donny Sands from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
• Corresponding moves: None required

Washington Nationals

• Recalled C Tres Barrera from Triple-A Rochester
• Recalled RHP Mason Thompson from Triple-A Rochester
• Corresponding moves: None required

*Marlins moves reported by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link)

APRIL 7: The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Jeisson Rosario for assignment and formally selected the contract of veteran utilityman Marwin Gonzalez.

Rosario, 22, was claimed off waivers from the archrival Red Sox last month. He’s yet to make his big league debut or even take a plate appearance at the Triple-A level. Rosario spent the 2021 season with Boston’s Double-A affiliate and slashed .232/.335/.307 with three homers, 15 doubles, a triple and a 12.3% walk rate against a concerning 27.9% strikeout rate.

Acquired from the Padres in the trade that sent Mitch Moreland to San Diego, Rosario draws praise from scouts for his speed, plate discipline and defense in center field. Most scouting reports raise concerns about his hit tool, and his performance thus far in his minor league career has indeed reflected those red flags. Rosario could yet develop into at least a quality bench piece whose game is centered around value with the glove and on the bases, but he’ll need a good bit more refinement in the upper minors before that happens. The Yankees will have a week to trade Rosario or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

The Yankees also announced Thursday morning that catcher Ben Rortvedt has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right oblique. It’s not an unexpected move, as Rortvedt has been ailing for some time now. Acquired in the trade that brought Josh Donaldson to the Bronx and sent Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez to Minnesota, Rortvedt is a glove-first backstop who’ll give the Yankees a backup option to Kyle Higashioka. New York more recently acquired another defensive-minded catcher, Jose Trevino, in a trade  with the Rangers. Given Rortvedt’s injury, Higashioka and Trevino will be the two catchers on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.

It’ll be the 11th big league season for the switch-hitting González, who signed a minor league pact with New York over the offseason. A productive multi-positional player for a good portion of his tenure with the Astros, he has seen his production dip in recent years. Aside from a .303/.377/.530 showing in 2017, González has never been an elite hitter. He otherwise offered roughly average offensive numbers between 2014-19, but he’s struggled dating back to the start of the 2020 campaign.

González owns just a .204/.279/.310 line in 506 plate appearances over the past two seasons. He’s suited up with three different clubs in that stretch. He spent the 2020 campaign playing out the second season of a two-year deal with the Twins. González reunited with former Astros bench coach Alex Cora in Boston to begin last season, but the Red Sox designated him for assignment in mid-August. He returned to Houston for the stretch run, serving as a bench piece for skipper Dusty Baker during the Astros run to another American League pennant.

Adding the 33-year-old will give Yankees manager Aaron Boone a versatile piece off the bench. There won’t be room for González in the starting lineup on most days, but he’s capable of spelling New York’s regulars all around the infield and in either corner outfield spot.

It’s wholly unsurprising, as the Orioles haven’t had an appetite for any long-term investments during their ongoing rebuild. Even the one-year, $7MM deal they agreed to with right-hander Jordan Lyles prior to the lockout was seen as a surprise, as the O’s hadn’t previously given out more than a $3MM guarantee to any free agent since hiring general manager Mike Elias more than three years ago.

Still, as Connolly explores, the lack of an extension and the seemingly inevitable trade of Mancini — be it in the next couple weeks or this summer — will be a wildly unpopular move both among fans and in the clubhouse. Mancini, the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year, was already a fan favorite in Baltimore before overcoming stage-3 colon cancer and returning to the field with a generally productive 2021 season. He’s also entrenched as a clubhouse leader in Baltimore. The O’s will start spending money at some point once they’re ready to emerge from what’s now a four-year tanking effort, but at the moment they project to just a $64.5MM payroll — $23MM of which is dead money still owed to Chris Davis.

More from the AL East…

• Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez will likely see increased time in the outfield this season, writes Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. While Martinez will continue to operate as Boston’s primary designated hitter, manager Alex Cora also said this week that Martinez will likely start in right field against left-handed pitchers — effectively pushing Jackie Bradley Jr. (who’ll start in right field against right-handed pitchers) into a platoon role. There won’t be a set DH on days against left-handed opponents, as Cora said he’ll use those opportunities to keep others in the lineup fresh. Martinez has played primarily left field when he’s been on the outfield grass in recent years, but Cotillo notes that Cora’s preference is to keep Alex Verdugo in left, Enrique Hernandez in center, and not move the outfielders around so frequently.
• Veteran utilityman Marwin Gonzalez is in camp with the Yankees on a minor league deal, and manager Aaron Boone tells Dan Martin of the New York Post he hopes the switch-hitting Gonzalez will play his way into a roster spot, citing a desire for more versatility off his bench. “That’s something I think Tampa [Bay] has done a really good job of,” said Boone. “Their roster complements one another really well. I hope that’s the case with us.” Meanwhile, Newsday’s Erik Boland tweets that Gonzalez is “all but a lock” to make the Yankees’ roster despite having inked a minor league contract. The recent agreement to expand rosters to 28 players for the early portion of the season certainly can’t hurt Gonzalez’s chances. He’d earn a $1.15MM salary if he’s added to the big league roster.

Gonzalez, 33, has struggled with the bat over the last two seasons with the Twins, Red Sox, and Astros, posting a 62 wRC+ in 506 plate appearances.  Gonzalez came up with the Astros, establishing himself as a versatile oft-used utility player capable of above average offense, particularly in 2017 when he put up a 144 wRC+.  He has experience at all four infield positions as well as both corner outfield spots.

Though he fell back to Earth in 2018, Gonzalez was good enough after that season to rank 16th on MLBTR’s top 50 free agents list.  He set out looking for a four-year deal, but landed a two-year, $21MM pact with the Twins.  After the 2020 season, Gonzalez signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Red Sox.  He was released by August 2021, returning to the Astros and cracking their World Series roster.

Ultimately, Gonzalez represents nothing more than a harmless minor league deal for the Yankees.  Every team signs at least a half-dozen of these every spring, to little consequence.  However, it’s difficult denying the poor optics and timing of the Gonzalez signing for the Yankees.  While the Yankees have found their 2021 shortstop in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the Gonzalez minor league deal comes about a day after the Twins landed Carlos Correa on a three-year, $105.1MM deal, and minutes after the Red Sox reached a six-year, $140MM agreement with Trevor Story.

The juxtaposition with Correa is particularly stark.  Both Correa and Gonzalez were heavily involved in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal of 2017 and ’18.  In Tony Adams’ research of 58 home games from the ’17 Astros, no player had more correct trash can bangs (signifying what type of pitch was coming) than Marwin Gonzalez.  It had been reported that at least one of the reasons the Yankees were cool on Correa was his involvement in the scandal, with the club having lost the 2017 ALCS to the Astros.  Now the Yankees have added perhaps the chief perpetrator to the organization.

Of course, a no-risk minor league deal for Gonzalez is not analogous to the ten-year commitment Correa initially sought, but it’s still a bad look.  Throw in Story’s surprising megadeal with the arch-rival Red Sox, who already had an excellent player at shortstop in Xander Bogaerts, and this morning’s Gonzalez signing may represent more for Yankees fans than a minor depth addition.

Ultimately that’s all it is, and Gonzalez isn’t guaranteed a spot on the big league team.  Having traded Luke Voit, the Yankees are set up around the infield with Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Josh Donaldson, with DJ LeMahieu filling in at first, second, and third as needed.  LeMahieu has never played the outfield and has almost never played shortstop.  But the Yankees also still have Miguel Andujar on the 40-man roster, and the 27-year-old has experience at both third base and left field.

The Astros 40-man roster had a vacancy because Zack Greinke and Taylor Jones were recently placed on the COVID IL.  Neither counts against the 40-man roster at this time. Gonzalez, and the recently-called-up Jose Siri, could potentially be considered COVID replacement players, which would mean they’d be able to be sent back down to Triple-A and removed from the 40-man roster without needing to pass through waivers.

Gonzalez was released by the Red Sox a few weeks ago after a disappointing season. In 77 games for Boston, he slashed .202/.281/.285, producing a wRC+ of 56, the second-lowest such mark of his career, behind only his 54 way back in 2013. The Astros added him on a minor league deal on August 27th. Gonzalez will now see if a return to the Houston organization can bring him back to something resembling the best stretch of his career, which came as an Astro from 2014 to 2018. Over those seasons, he hit .271/.328/.438, for a wRC+ of 111. Since the minor league deal was signed before the end of August, Gonzalez is eligible to play in the postseason for the Astros.

Gonzalez, 32, spent the first seven seasons of his career in Houston, never really settling into one spot on the diamond but bouncing all around the field as a versatile utility option. After struggling at the plate through his first two seasons at the MLB level, Gonzalez settled in as a roughly average hitter from 2014-16 before a massive season at the plate in 2017, when he hit .303/.377/.530 with career-bests in home runs (23), doubles (34) and walk rate (9.6 percent).

In four seasons since that time, however, Gonzalez has turned in a pedestrian .240/.310/.376 output, and his struggles have been particularly evident over the past two seasons. Dating back to 2020 — the second season of a two-year, $21MM contract he signed in Minnesota — Gonzalez has combined for a dismal .206/.284/.300 batting line. This season’s 25.8 percent strikeout rate through 271 plate appearances is the highest of his career by about three percent.

There’s little harm in the Astros taking a look at a player they know well — particularly one who can bounce around the diamond and fill a versatile bench role in September when rosters expand from 26 to 28 players. Gonzalez hasn’t shown much at the plate recently, but if he’s able to return to the even average levels of offense he’s provided outside of that 2017 campaign, he’d be a nice addition both for the month of September and for the playoffs. The mere fact that he’s in the Astros’ organization prior to Sept. 1 makes him eligible for the postseason roster — even if he’s not selected to the Majors until sometime next month.

Signed to a one-year deal over the winter, González’s tenure in Boston was a disappointment. He hit a career-worst .202/.281/.285 with two home runs across 271 plate appearances. That marked his second consecutive very poor season at the plate, as González also struggled last year — his final with the Twins. His monstrous 2017 season looks like an outlier, but González hit at a league average level from 2018-19 before falling off over the past two years.

González inked a $3MM guarantee, around $738K of which is still due to be paid out. Any club that claims González off waivers would assume that obligation, but it seems more likely the switch-hitter will pass through unclaimed and reach free agency, leaving the Red Sox on the hook for the money. At that point, another team could sign González and would owe him the prorated league minimum salary for any time he spends on the big league roster, which would be subtracted from what he’s owed by Boston. If González lands elsewhere before August 31, he’d be eligible for his new team’s postseason roster.

The Red Sox are off tonight but will have a doubleheader against the Yankees tomorrow. Tanner Houck will be recalled as the 27th man to start one half of that twin bill. Boston’s pair of optional assignments leaves another active roster spot open, and Ian Browne of MLB.com notes the hope is reliever Josh Taylor will be activated from the injured list tomorrow. Taylor landed on the COVID-19 IL over the weekend but has apparently not tested positive to this point. If Taylor is indeed ready for reinstatement, Boston will need to create a 40-man roster spot.

Gonzalez, 32, found a rather frigid market for his services in free agency this past offseason, lingering on the market until inking a one-year, $3MM deal in Boston on the heels of a poor 2020 showing in Minnesota. The versatile switch-hitter posted just a .211/.286/.320 slash in 199 plate appearances with the Twins last year and hasn’t been able to improve upon that in 2021, batting just .201/.282/.285 in a larger sample of 271 trips to the plate.

Gonzalez has, at times, been an average or better offensive contributor, but his lone standout season at the plate came during the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017. Gonzalez posted a massive .303/.377/.530 batting line with a career-high 23 home runs in 515 plate appearances. He’s hit just .240/.310/.376 in nearly 1500 plate appearances since that season.

Defensively, Gonzalez has played solidly around the diamond in Boston, where he’s logged time at all four infield positions and both corner outfield slots. Gonzalez has more than 1000 career innings played at all four infield positions and in left field (plus another 402 in right field).

Given that he’s still owed about $839K of this year’s $3MM base salary and has produced a lowly .206/.284/.300 batting line in his past 470 MLB plate appearances, Gonzalez is a lock to go unclaimed on waivers. He’ll become a free agent at that point and be able to sign with any team for the prorated league minimum. Any pay he receives from another club would be deducted from the remainder of the salary still owed to him by the Red Sox.

Schwarber is now in line to make his team debut. The slugger rode an absurd month of June to a .253/.340/.570 line over 303 plate appearances with the Nationals. He suffered a significant hamstring strain in early July and landed on the injured list. Washington fell out of contention not long thereafter and traded away a huge swath of players before the deadline — including Schwarber, who’s an impending free agent. Now that he has returned to health, Schwarber figures to get plenty of run at first base, a position he’s never played in the major leagues, with Boston.

• Newly-acquired Franchy Cordero may not be ready for opening day, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Cordero has yet to clear COVID-19 protocols. It would be understandable to be judicious with someone in Cordero’s position – a not-yet established big-league regular joining a new franchise. Especially considering Cordero’s spotty injury history, the Red Sox may want to prioritize getting Cordero’s year started with a head full of steam. The Red Sox are planning to start the season with a short bench, but Cordero’s delay could mean an early roster spot for Michael Chavis or Marcus Wilson. By adding Marwin González and Kiké Hernandez this winter, the Red Sox have afforded themselves plenty of roster flexibility.
• González figures to find himself playing left field against lefties even when Cordero returns, writes the Athletic’s Chad Jennings. But he won’t be much help in center, whereas Cordero could see some time in the middle. While they wait for Cordero – assuming Jarren Duran doesn’t make the roster – Boston is without a clear every down option in center. Alex Verdugo and Kiké are the two players on the roster most clearly prepped for the spot, but Boston does seem to favor Duran joining the team at some point during the 2021 season. Not only has the youngster received favorable comparisons to Grady Sizemore this winter, but he’s gone 5-for-11 with a .500 OBP through their first six spring games. Though that means very little in terms of statistical significance, first impressions at this level can certainly impact an organization’s viewpoint on a player.

Walden, formerly with the Blue Jays, Athletics and Twins, signed with the Red Sox before 2017 and broke into the bigs with the club a year later. He was an effective piece of Boston’s bullpen from 2018-19 – a 92 2/3-inning run in which he averaged around 94 mph on his fastball, pitched to a 3.79 ERA/3.91 SIERA, forced grounders at a 54.3 percent clip, and logged strikeout and walk rates of 23.1 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively.

Walden amassed a whopping 78 innings in 2019, so the Red Sox were likely expecting another workhorse effort in last year’s truncated campaign. Instead, though, the 32-year-old threw a mere 13 1/3 frames over 15 appearances, in which he posted a horrific 9.45 ERA/5.67 SIERA with a 14.1 percent strikeout rate and a 12.7 percent walk rate. A dip in velocity (92.7 mph average fastball) factored into his decline.

As poorly as he pitched last year, Walden is due to earn a league-minimum salary this season – his final pre-arb campaign – and he has two minor league options remaining. It’s conceivable another team will take a chance on him in hopes that he’ll bounce back to his 2018-19 form.

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.