Cincinnati Reds free agency preview: Starting pitcher Gio González

The Cincinnati Reds are in serious need of starting pitching this offseason. Blog Red Machine is going to check out a few potential free agents who could help. Gio González fits the mold of a free agent the Reds would normally chase after.

Free agency doesn’t start for a few more weeks, but it’s never too early to preview which players the Cincinnati Reds may target this offseason. Obviously, starting pitching is far and away the biggest need for this ballclub going forward.

Over the next several days, Blog Red Machine is going to check in on a few different starters who could help the Reds in 2019. Gio González fits the mold of an experienced, yet moderately priced free agent that could help the Reds right away.

Gio González, who was drafted all the back in 2004 by the Chicago White Sox, played for the both the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers in 2018. He finished the season with a record of 10-11 and a 4.21 ERA.

No, those numbers won’t blow you away, but after González joined Milwaukee in August, he seemed to kick it into another gear. González was 3-0 in 5 games with the Brewers to close out the season and has a 2.13 ERA with Milwaukee.

González spent the previous 6 seasons in the Nation’s Capital, pitching for the Washington Nationals. During his time with the Nats, Gio started 186 games, averaged 31 starts per season and had a 3.49 ERA.

González would give the Cincinnati Reds a much needed left-handed starter. As we discussed yesterday when previewing J.A. Happ, the Reds need a left-handed starter in order to attack the dominant left-handed bats that dwell in the NL Central. Christian Yelich, Anthony Rizzo, and Matt Carpenter are not going anywhere anytime soon.

González has gone over 200 innings pitched on three separate occasions, in fact, he last did it in 2017. The trend in Major League Baseball has been to go to the bullpen sooner, but having a capable pitcher like González who has the ability to go deep into a game is a luxury that any manager would love to have.

González is coming off a 7 year, $65.5-million contract and was paid $12-million this season. A deal like the one Mike Minor signed last year with the Texas Rangers (3 years, $28 million) is very likely for González this offseason and one the Reds could definitely afford.

Gio González is the type of player that the Cincinnati Reds need to focus their efforts on. Unlike Dallas Keuchel and Patrick Corbin, González will not command a multi-year deal worth over $100-million. González is the kind of pitcher that could help shore up the Reds shaky rotation heading into 2019.