Dodgers and Yankees in battle for Fireballer Could Be Key Addition To the Desire Team if.
On December 11th, the New York Yankees acquired Victor Gonzalez along with prospect Jorbit Vivas in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving away Top 10 prospect Trey Sweeney in the process. The deal was made so that Los Angeles could clear a roster spot for incoming superstar Shohei Ohtani. However, it wasn’t all about the Dodgers in this deal, as New York was able to acquire a prospect of similar stature in Vivas and potentially fill a massive need in the bullpen with Gonzalez. Who is Victor Gonzalez, though, and what will he really bring to the table in New York in 2024?
Gonzalez is a 28-year-old left-hander from Mexico and has been a reliever for three seasons with the Dodgers. In 2020, Gonzalez made a massive impression on the front office and fan base despite a small sample size, throwing a 1.33 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched in his first season in the big leagues.
In 2021, Gonzalez’s numbers took a dive as his playing time increased, with his ERA climbing to 3.57 in 35.1 innings pitched. In 2022, Gonzalez was sidelined for the entire campaign with elbow issues, but he returned to the Dodger bullpen last season fully healthy, though recording a career worst 4.01 ERA in 35 innings pitched. Beyond the numbers, Gonzalez brings heat to the table for New York. Last year, his fast ball topped out at 96.6 mph in the minors and consistently delivers above 93 mph. Gonzalez also has a slider with good movement in his arsenal, though it has been deemed inconsistent by many evaluators. Gonzalez even brings some passion and flair with his strikeout celebrations, often doing a shuffle similar to that of one Juan Soto.
Gonzalez would figure to appear in short relief situations or setup opportunities, getting starters and fellow relievers out of mid-game jams. With New York losing Michael King, Jhony Brito and Randy Vazquez to the Soto trade, Gonzalez could be a welcome addition to the bullpen alongside the likes of Clay Holmes and Jonathan Loaisiga, with room for more additions in the offseason. The left-hander certainly adds another strong arm and potential quality reliever in a simple swap of prospects. Only time will tell, however, if the 28-year-old can reach his 2020 form. If he can, he could be a large contributor in a contending bullpen in New York and really make Los Angeles regret giving him away in a prospect swap.
It has been a much different offseason for the New York Mets than in years past. Previously, they likely would have been the ones operating like the Los Angeles Dodgers, throwing massive amounts of money at the top free agents on the market. Maybe that would have landed them both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto like the Dodgers were able to do.
But new president of baseball operations, David Stearns, and owner, Steve Cohen, have had a different philosophy this offseason knowing they won’t be true contenders in 2024. Yet, it looked like Yamamoto was the one player that the Mets were willing to spend for.
The disappointing decision for New York comes after Cohen met with the phenom twice. And while the Mets didn’t win the sweepstakes, Cohen doesn’t have regrets about how they operated. “I think the whole organization tried our hardest, and someone was going to win and someone was going to lose and that is the way it goes. I feel good about our efforts and I left it all on the field. Life goes on,” he told Mike Puma of The New York Post. New York has rarely lost bidding wars since Cohen took over.
