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Gio Gonzalez agrees to Minor League deal with Yankees

By Alex Butler
Former Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez can opt out of his deal with the New York Yankees on April 20, if he is still playing at the Minor League level. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Former Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez can opt out of his deal with the New York Yankees on April 20, if he is still playing at the Minor League level. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

March 19 (UPI) -- Former Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Gio Gonzalez has agreed to a Minor League contract with the New York Yankees.

Sources told NJ.com and ESPN Gonzalez has an April 20 opt-out in the pact if the Yankees don't add him to the Major League Baseball roster. The contract is for $3 million in base salary if he makes the big league club. The deal includes incentives based on games started.

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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed the agreement.

Gonzalez, 33, posted a 4.21 ERA and 10-11 record in 32 starts last season for the Nationals and Brewers. The left-handed starter began the season with the Nationals before being traded to the Brewers in August.

The No. 38 overall pick in the 2004 MLB June Amateur Draft made his MLB debut in 2008 with the Oakland Athletics. Gonzalez played four seasons with the Athletics before joining the Nationals in 2012. He had a league and career-high 21 wins during his first season with the Nationals. Gonzalez finished third in Cy Young Award voting in 2012.

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He owns a career 3.69 ERA and 127-97 record in 313 appearances.

New York has some injuries issues in its rotation, with CC Sabathia expected to miss multiple weeks at the start of the season due to an offseason heart procedure and knee surgery. Planned opening day starter Luis Severino is out until at least May as he deals with a rotator cuff injury.

The Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training clash at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

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