Mariner’s Trade Former Wenatchee AppleSox Pitcher Marco Gonzales to Atlanta

AppleSox fans have enjoyed cheering the former Wenatchee pitcher at Mariner home games in Seattle.  Now, Gonzales will pitch as a member of the Atlanta Braves and any interleague appearances in T-Mobile Park in Seattle will be against his former club.

There is speculation at the time of this post that Atlanta may send the southpaw Gonzales to another team as part of another deal yet to be announced.

Monday, the Seattle Mariners announced Gonzales, outfielder Jarred Kelenic and 1st baseman Evan White have been sent to Atlanta in exchange for two right handed pitchers.

ESPN said the 31 year lefthander Gonzales is coming off a surgery for a nerve problem in his arm that limited him to 10 starts and 50 innings in the 2023 season before the injury sidelined him.

The three player trade was considered a salary dump by Seattle.  Gonzales will make $12 million in 2024 and has a $15 million option for 2025. Seattle and White were owed nearly $30 million for 2024.  The Mariner's also announce the trade of 3rd baseman Eugenio Suarez in another cost-cutting move.

Marco Gonzales may be the most popular AppleSox alumnus to play in the majors.  After his 2010 season in Wenatchee when he was 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA, he went on to a successful career at Gonzaga and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, according to AppleSox media sources.

He joined Seattle in 2017 after a trade from St. Louis and won 61 games.   Among his Mariner highlights, in 2019, he started the Mariners’ season opener in Tokyo, Japan and the home opener at T-Mobile Park, winning both outings.

Gonzales maintained close connections in the Wenatchee area and was a visitor on several Mariner promotional tour stops here early in his Seattle career.

Marco Gonzales will be missed and good luck in Atlanta, Marco!