Pirates Transactions
PIRATES TRADE: Add Starter, Acquire Marco Gonzales From Braves
The Pittsburgh Pirates have struck at the Winter Meetings. They’ve acquired left-handed starting pitcher Marco Gonzales and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves, a source confirmed to Pittsburgh Baseball Now. To complete the Pirates’ trade, the team will send a player to be named later to Atlanta.
Gonzales was just acquired by the Braves from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday in a five-player swap.
Prior to the trade to Atlanta, Gonzales spent seven seasons with the Mariners after he was obtained from the St. Louis Cardinals in a midseason trade in 2017. Gonzales was originally a first-round pick (19th overall) by the Cardinals in the 2013 draft.
With the Mariners, the 31-year-old Gonzales became a mainstay in the rotation. He made 151 appearances, 148 of which were starts, and pitched to a solid 4.08 ERA with a 61-47 record.
Gonzales isn’t an overpowering pitcher. For his career, he’s averaged only 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings. The left-hander pitches to contact and has allowed a very respectable 2.4 walks per nine over the course of his nine-year big league career.
In 2023, Gonzales was limited to 10 starts after he was placed on the injured list with a left forearm strain in June. The injury kept him out for the rest of the season. When he did pitch, Gonzales struggled to the tune of a 5.22 ERA, though his 4.28 FIP was in much better shape.
The Pirates have been searching for multiple starting pitchers this offseason and have landed one to give them a veteran arm alongside Mitch Keller in the rotation.
Gonzales is set to make $12.25 million in 2024, though the Braves will seemingly be covering a portion of that. The Pirates also hold a $15 million club option over Gonzales for 2025.
This is the fourth consecutive offseason that general manager Ben Cherington has acquired a left-handed starter — Tyler Anderson (2021), JosĂ© Quintana (2022) and Rich Hill (2023).
The Pittsburgh Pirates will still be searching for additional rotation help as the offseason continues. They have already been linked to free agent right-hander Jack Flaherty.