Day Fifty: Marco Gonzales

Marco, Marco, Marco. There isn't much more disappointing than a soft-tosser with the demeanor of a firebreather. No matter what he's going to end up looking kinda lame because fools are going to get their hits. Marco Gonzales is a very good lefthanded pitcher. He started the most games in 2019 which I suppose says something about his commitment and drive, but quite honestly, I view Marco Gonzales as the pitching version of Mitch Haniger. They are exhibits A & B in the case against Jerry Dipoto. There have been some miraculous salvages (The Cano trade) during Trader Jerry's (Funny they called the last guy Trader as well) tenure as alchemical wizard prince of the worst baseball franchise, but there have been some serious headscratching question marks that would lead me to believe that he has utterly no plan nor idea what he is doing, nor does he know WHEN you should trade someone. And that last piece is the crucial part. So let's just pile on Marco Gonzales here and talk about how crumbly this youth movement would have been if they played baseball in the US anymore.

Marco Gonzales was a great pitcher for the Gonzaga Bulldogs (as seen above) and was acquired from the St Louis Cardinals for Tyler O'Neill in 2017 (O'Neill is only 24 years old so we shall see if he becomes the next Larry Walker or Michael "the condor lol" Saunders). He pitched great for the Mariners in the first half of 2018 and then struggled mightily down the stretch. Then in the whirlwind offseason leading up to 2019, Marco Gonzales and Mitch Haniger suddenly became THE FUTURE of the Mariners organization. I was mighty skeptical of this madness. Gonzales was total trash the second half of the year when it seemed that hitters had really clocked his stuff and weren't giving him the grounders he needs. When the ball starts flying off bats and you're a low-zone finesse guy, it is a troubling situation to say the least. And so here we were, rolling into 2019 with Marco and Mitch. Honestly though it is unfair to place too much on Marco or Mitch. They were trying their best, they simply had been sold as being an awful lot better than they actually are. With the savvy that Jerry Dipoto has shown in literally that very same offseason, I think it would have been a really really smart idea to trade Haniger. Obviously Gonzales had a fine season in 2019, but with the 2020 season all but cancelled, he is going to be an aging pitcher in 2021 (if we ever play ball again.) And if that was it, really it was a decent career for Marco. He is a beloved Washington star and makes his home here in Seattle. He is a lefty and a very nice guy. But when he was getting all motivational and everything during 2018 and in the first half of 2019, it was a bit much. You're a fucking pitcher bro. Just go out and pitch. Even Randy and Max Scherzer don't try to lecture in the dugout even though they act like complete psychopaths on the mound (and it is truly a pleasure to watch Mad Max). Take a chill, Marco! It's gonna be ok. You're a Seattle treasure now and we probably won't get any other pirates trying to plunder our ship. But that's the way it is sometimes. Willie Bloomquist was beloved. Bucky Jacobsen has a radio program (oh sweet Moses), and Marco Gonzales is quite a bit better than either of those jokers.