Detroit Tigers free agency primer: Why Carlos Gonzalez is a fit
By Ben Rosener
Why Carlos Gonzalez
Playing on an expiring deal this season, Gonzalez turned in a -0.2 WAR, an 84 wRC+, a .327 wOBA, a .162 ISO, a .262 batting average, a .339 on-base percentage and a .423 slugging percentage.
Gonzalez also notched 72 runs scored, 57 RBI and 14 home runs in 534 plate appearances.
This represented a significant down season for the slugger, who combined to mash 65 home runs, score 174 runs and drive in 187 runs during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Gonzalez WAR numbers checked in at 2.5 and 2.0 respectively in 2015 and 2016. His wRC+ never dipped below 110, while he turned in ISO stats of .269 and .207.
A longtime presence in the middle of Colorado’s lineup, the veteran could conceivably be moving on this winter.
Colorado has Gerardo Parra, Ian Desmond and Charlie Blackmon under team control through at least 2018.
With Blackmon, D.J. LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado heading for free agency in the coming years, the Rockies may find it prudent to save money for some potentially significant cotnracts.
Either way, if Gonzalez becomes a free agent, the Tigers should look to sign him to a one-year deal.
Not only would the contract help Gonzalez rebuild his value ahead of scoring a larger deal in free agency the next year, but it would also give Detroit a run producer in a lineup that lost two offensive juggernauts in 2017.