When reliever Mike Gonzalez signed with the Orioles before last season, I thought it was a decent signing at the time despite the money involved.
He had a solid track record in the National League with Pittsburgh and Atlanta, so one would think he certainly would be integral part of the Baltimore bullpen.
As we all know, from the start of Spring Training until 2/3 of the way into the 2010 season, Gonzalez was awful. He was signed by the Orioles as a closer, and sadly he didn’t close much. I don’t think he has even saved a game with the Orioles since he signed his John Hancock.
I was at Opening Day in 2010 where Gonzalez was literally booed off the mound and remarked to a fan next to me who was bashing him, “um, I think he’s hurt”.
I added (and paraphrasing), “I have watched too much baseball over the years and I have seen this guy on the mound. Something isn’t right.”
He was out of sorts in Spring Training and then was disastrous in the first week of the season. Of course, his had a small part that led to an infamous and horrendous stretch for the Orioles in 2010.
Gonzalez, in the end, was hurt. After working his way back in the minors, he came back towards the end of last season in a non-pressurized role in the bullpen and was decent.
Now that we are in 2011, Gonzalez looks awful as ever. He says he’s healthy in a Baltimore Sun interview and wants to pull his weight on the team.
His mechanics on the mound look terrible. Well, one could say that Gonzalez has always had a funky motion, but at least he got people out back then.
This year, he looks absolutely lost on the mound and watching him now, you could say in your mind, “I don’t this guy has an idea where the ball is going…”
Well, I am an optimist and hope — plus think — that Gonzalez will work through his issues and help the Orioles.
The reality is that Baltimore will never get back the money they gave to Gonzalez. Nor will he ever performance to the value of his contract.
Sometimes, it’s a risk when you sign a reliever to a healthy deal.
Gonzalez is proof of that. However, he seems to be a very good and humble gentleman at least from what I have heard from him in the past and today’s Sun piece.
Let’s hope everything works out.
