White Sox to sign Gio Gonzalez, per report

Gio Gonzalez is back where it all started. The southpaw has agreed to a deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to baseball insider Robert Murray.

Although Gonzalez was selected by the White Sox in the first round of the 2004 draft, he never made it to the majors as he was dealt to the Phillies the deal that sent Jim Thome to Chicago. He was traded back to the White Sox in 2006 in exchange for Freddy Garcia before being flipped to the Athletics in 2008 in the Nick Swisher deal. After four years in Oakland, he was traded to the Nationals in a six-player deal. 2018 saw him get traded to the Brewers, and he signed deals with the Yankees and Brewers in 2019.

Gonzalez did not spend any time in the majors with the Yankees last year, but he did make 17 starts and two relief appearances for the Brewers. In Milwaukee, he went 3-2 with a 3.50 ERA, allowing 36 runs on 76 hits in 87.1 innings. He allowed nine home runs and 37 walks while striking out 78 batters.

Gonzalez is a great addition for a Chicago team looking to compete in 2020 but not willing to break the bank or explode the farm system due to the possibility of a poor season. The terms of Gonzalez’s deal have not been disclosed, but it’s presumably a one-year pact worth between $2 million and $3 million.

Gonzalez is now in his third stint with the White Sox but has not pitched in a game for them yet. That seems likely to change as 2020 approaches.