The New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that Victor Gonzalez, a left-handed pitcher, has cleared outright waivers without any claims and subsequently been assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. This move follows his designation for assignment the previous week. Despite having enough tenure in the majors to decline the assignment, Gonzalez lacks sufficient service time to retain the remainder of his $860,000 salary if he opts for free agency, making acceptance of the Triple-A assignment the likely outcome.
Gonzalez, 28 years old, arrived at the Yankees as part of an offseason trade alongside minor league infielder Jorbit Vivas, with Trey Sweeney going to the Dodgers. His stint on the major league roster did not unfold as anticipated. While Gonzalez recorded a respectable 3.86 earned run average across 23 1/3 innings, his performance was marred by a higher walk rate (13.4%) compared to strikeouts (11.3%). Notably, he continued to excel in inducing ground balls (55.1%), but his strikeout rate has declined for the fourth consecutive season. Additionally, his average sinker velocity dropped to 93.3 mph, down from his peak of 95 mph.
Initially debuting with the Dodgers in 2020, Gonzalez exhibited promise as a potent bullpen asset, highlighted by a 1.33 ERA over 20 1/3 innings, supported by a robust 28.7% strikeout rate and minimal 2.5% walk rate, while boasting an impressive 69.2% ground ball rate.
Since then, injuries have plagued Gonzalez, affecting his effectiveness and limiting his repertoire. Issues such as plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and significant elbow inflammation necessitating surgery have curtailed his progress. Over the past three and a half seasons, encompassing both major and minor league appearances, Gonzalez has accumulated a total of 136 innings.
Due to his lack of minor league options, the Yankees were compelled to designate Gonzalez for assignment to facilitate a potential move to the minors. He now looks to make an impact in Triple-A, aiming for a return to the majors later in the season, contingent upon being reinstated to the 40-man roster. Should this not materialize, Gonzalez holds the right to explore free agency as a minor league player upon the conclusion of the season, given his status as a player with over three years of service who was outrighted from a 40-man roster.
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