Veteran Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez Reportedly Signs Minor-League Deal With Mariners
By Karl Rasmussen
Carlos Gonzalez, once renowned as one of baseball's most fearsome sluggers, has looked a shell of his former self throughout the last few seasons. The former Rockies star struggled to stick on a big league roster in 2019 after departing from Colorado, but he's found himself a new home for the 2020 campaign.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, CarGo has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Seattle Mariners.
The Seattle #Mariners have signed veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to a minor-league contract that will pay him $750,000 if he makes their big-league team. He'll be in their major-league spring training camp.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 11, 2020
Gonzalez will be invited to Mariners Spring Training, and can earn as much as $750,000 this season should he crack the big league roster.
He featured in just 45 games last season, spending time with the Indians and Cubs. Gonzalez recorded a woeful .200/.289/.283 slash line, as the power he used to boast seems to have evaporated with age -- and possibly a change in ballparks. Once a hitter of 40 home runs in a single season, CarGo went yard just three times in 2019.
Mariners To Sign Carlos Gonzalez https://t.co/u6ttdqeuez pic.twitter.com/SDr9xoHtKl
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) February 11, 2020
Now 34, the three-time All-Star is looking to give it another go in the 2020 campaign with the Mariners. While his days of launching home runs on the regular would appear to be in the past, he'll have his chance to prove he can carve out a meaningful role in Seattle.