Jun 13, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Marco Gonzales (56) pitches during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Mariners acquired left-hander Marco Gonzales from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor league outfielder Tyler O’Neill, the teams announced Friday.
Gonzales, 25, appeared in parts of three major league seasons (2014, 2015, 2017) with the Cardinals, compiling a 4-2 record with a 5.53 ERA over 40 2/3 innings in 12 games (seven starts).
Gonzales also appeared in three games in the 2014 division series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and was 2-0 with a perfect 0.00 ERA over three innings. In addition, he made three appearances in the 2014 ALCS against the San Francisco Giants and was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA over three innings.
“Marco is a quality athlete with high character and a strong pitching pedigree who we feel fits our roster well in both the near and long term,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “We find his current performance, preparedness and proximity to the major leagues to be very appealing traits in a pitcher, particularly a young lefty who is now under club control through the 2023 season.”
Gonzales also made appearances with Triple-A Memphis and advanced-A Palm Beach this season. In 11 starts at AAA, he was 6-4 with a 2.90 ERA over 68 1/3 innings with 57 strikeouts and 17 walks.
Gonzales missed part of the 2015 season after suffering a severe left pectoral injury. He was out all of 2016 recovering from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.
O’Neill, 22, hit .244 with 19 home runs and 56 RBIs in 93 games with Triple-A Tacoma this season.
In parts of five minor league seasons in the Mariners organization, O’Neill hit .269 with 89 home runs, 300 RBIs, 44 stolen bases, a .344 on-base percentage and a .505 slugging mark in 418 career games.
The Canadian-born outfielder played in three games for Team Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
“This was more of a traditional trade in the sense that O’Neill was an outfielder with upside in the Mariners organization and Gonzales was a pitcher with upside in our organization,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. “If you look at the depth we have with the pitching in our system, it allowed us to make a move like this to improve. We are excited for Tyler to join our organization.”
O’Neill will report to Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League.
