RHP Alfredo Gonzalez and Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Agree to 6-Year Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly added some depth to their pitching staff, agreeing to a six-year deal with Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez worth more than $50 million, according to Yahoo! Sports MLB columnist Jeff Passan via Twitter:

Passan adds that, according to a source, the deal could pay Gonzalez as much as $60 million when bonuses are factored in. That figure would be a record for an international player:

On Saturday, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported that the contract figures were a little different than those reported by Passan. 

A talented starting flamethrower from Cuba, Gonzalez has a lot to offer Philadelphia as it gets set to make a final push for the postseason this summer.

According to ESPNDallas.com’s Richard Durrett, the 26-year-old “has a nice assortment of pitches,” and can reach 96 mph on his fastball. Durrett also hears that Gonzalez possesses an impressive splitter, slider and changeup.

Gonzalez was “granted free agency” back in June, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Around the same time, he received an unblocking license from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control that made him eligible to sign with a major-league team earlier this week. 

The Phillies, who are five games below .500 and nine games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East following Friday’s road loss to the Detroit Tigers, currently rank 22nd in the majors in team ERA, sporting a 4.16 earned run average.

Only San Francisco and San Diego rank worse among National League teams in that category. Therefore, this move makes plenty of sense for Philly, even if the cost is alarming.

Adding Gonzalez right before the trade deadline allows the Phillies to add a top-flight starter to their rotation without having to sacrifice any prospects in exchange. Financially, only time will tell how wise of a move this one is for Philadelphia.

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