Carlos Gonzalez Agrees to One-Year Deal with Colorado Rockies

Carlos Gonzalez is staying in Colorado…

The 32-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball right fielder, a longtime outfielder with the Colorado Rockies, has reportedly agreed to sign a one-year deal with the team, according to FanRag Sports.

Carlos Gonzalez

The Rockies’ emotional leader and only holdover player from their 2009 postseason squad had his worst year statistically last season but closed strong, finishing with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs after struggling at the plate early.

Nicknamed CarGo, Gonzalez was hitting .214 in mid-July as he tinkered with his swing before he adjusted his grip on the bat. That, combined with visiting a sleep specialist to seek solutions to cure a bout of insomnia, paid quick dividends, with Gonzalez hitting .325 over August and September with eight of his 14 homers to help lead the Rockies to the postseason for the first time since 2009.

The Rockies had offered Gonzalez a lucrative four-year deal that was rejected last spring, USA Today reported. Gonzalez was in the final season of a seven-year, $80 million contract and gambled that he’d be able to get a better deal in free agency.

Gonzalez might have to split time with Gerardo Parra in right field. Charlie Blackmon is set in center field and Ian Desmond in left, but CarGo’s presence in the locker room has always been one of his biggest draws.

On Monday, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado told the Denver Post, “I think it would be safe to say that everyone here misses him, really badly. Don’t get me wrong, I think we have strong group of guys, but we miss CarGo’s energy and laughter. I know a lot of guys miss him — even if they won’t voice it — because we have talked about it since we all got here.

“CarGo kept things light. He was a good balance for guys like me; guys who are kind of serious. I mean, CarGo could be serious, but at the same time, he kept everyone loose.”

Talking about the possibility of bringing Gonzalez back, Arenado said, “It would be the greatest thing ever. That would be huge for us. Like I said, I think he’s a great player and I still think he can do some damage.”

Gonzalez was won three Gold Gloves, was the NL batting champ in 2010, made three All-Star squads and hit a career-high 40 homers in 2015. His numbers for the Rockies, where he has played for nine of his 10 seasons, include a .292 average with 211 homers and 685 RBIs.

Nationals Pitcher Gonzalez Earns His MLB-Leading 19th Victory

There’s no denying Gio Gonzalez is making a strong case for this season’s Cy Young Award

The 26-year-old Cuban American baseball earned his Major League Baseball league-leading nineteenth victory and his Washington Nationals teammates did their part with three home runs to defeat the New York Mets 5-1 on Monday night.

Gio Gonzalez

Gonzalez’s performance this season has helped make him a prime contender for the league’s coveted pitching prize. But that’s something he’s not thinking about right now.

“When you start looking at one thing, it’ll drive you crazy,” he said after the game. “If it comes, it comes.”

Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey currently has 18 wins and a better ERA than Gonzalez, and he’ll be starting against the Nationals on Tuesday. Asked whether he was eager for Washington to face Dickey — and perhaps dent his Cy Young chances — manager Davey Johnson had a simple answer.

“Not really,” he said.

Gio Gonzalez

Kurt Suzuki put the Nationals ahead with a home run right after catcher Kelly Shoppach dropped his foul popup for an error. Ryan Zimmerman launched a two-run shot later in the third inning and Ian Desmond added a two-run drive in the fourth.

That was more than enough for Gonzalez (19-7) and the team with the best record in the majors. The lefty gave up three hits over six innings, none until the Mets’ Scott Hairston homered in the fourth.

Gonzalez worked around five walks and extended his career high for wins. He seemed relaxed enough, chatting with fans in the front row while waiting in the on-deck circle in the sixth as Suzuki batted.

Gonzalez matched a season high for walks, but he lowered his ERA to 2.93.

“Couldn’t find the strike zone,” he said. “Drank a little too much coffee. I don’t know what it was.”

The Nationals opened a six-game swing that ends this weekend in Atlanta, where they’ll play their closest pursuers in the NL East.