Yankees Get Deeper On Mound, Agree To Deal With Gonzalez
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Gio Gonzalez and the New York Yankees agreed to a minor league contract Monday.
If added to the 40-man roster, the 33-year-old lefty would get a $3 million salary while in the major leagues and the chance to earn performance bonuses.
New York had been seeking more pitching following a shoulder injury to ace Luis Severino, who will not be available until May at the earliest. In addition, CC Sabathia is likely to miss the first week or two as he recovers from an offseason that included knee surgery and the insertion of a stent after a blockage was found in an artery from his heart.
MORE: Yankees Spring Training: Severino Out Until At Least May Because Of Shoulder Issues
Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka heads a rotation that includes lefties James Paxton and J.A. Happ. Jonathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa and Domingo German are competing for two open rotation spots.
Gonzalez was 10-11 with a 4.21 ERA last year for Washington and Milwaukee, which acquired him on Aug. 31. He was 3-0 in five starts for the Brewers down the stretch, then started Games 1 and 4 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was pulled after two innings of the opener and one inning of his second appearance, allowing one run in each.
Gonzalez is a two-time All-Star and was 21-12 in 2012, his first season with the Nationals. He just finished the second option season of a contract that wound up being worth $65.5 million over seven seasons.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)