Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipototoday announced that the Mariners have acquired left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor league outfielder Tyler O'Neill.
"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," said Dipoto. "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, 25, has appeared in parts of 3 Major League seasons (2014, 2015, 2017) with the Cardinals, compiling a 4-2 mark with a 5.53 ERA (25 ER, 40.2 IP) in 12 games, 7 starts. In addition, he appeared in 3 games in the 2014 Division Series vs. Los Angeles (NL) and was 2-0 with a perfect 0.00 ERA. He also made 3 appearances in the 2014 ALCS (vs. San Francisco), and was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA (3 ER, 3.0 IP).
Marco has made appearances with the Cardinals, AAA Memphis and advanced-A Palm Beach this season. In 11 starts at AAA, he is 6-4 with a 2.90 ERA (22 ER, 68.1 IP) with 57 strikeouts and 17 walks. Since June 18, he is 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA (11 ER, 38.0 IP) with 33 strikeouts and 8 walks in 6 starts with Memphis. He made one start MLB start this year, pitching the second game of a double-header on June 13 vs. Milwaukee. In his lone start with High-A Palm Beach, he allowed one run in 6.0 innings.
The 6-foot, 199-pound lefty has twice been listed by Baseball America as having the "best changeup" in the Cardinals organization (2013 and 2014). In 2014, he was named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Gonzales missed part of the 2015 season after suffering a severe left pectoral injury. He was out all of 2016 recovering from ligament replacement surgery on his left elbow. He underwent surgery on April 15, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Gonzales, who resides in Seattle in the off-season, was drafted by St. Louis in the 1st round (19th overall) of the 2013 Draft out of Gonzaga University, becoming the highest draft pick in the history of the Bulldogs baseball program. He shared West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year honors with the Cubs' Kris Bryant (University of San Diego) as a freshman in 2011 and as a junior in 2013 and was the WCC Pitcher of the Year in 2012. He won the John Olerud Award as the nation's top collegiate two-way player in 2013 after being a finalist for the award in 2012.
O'Neill, 22, hit .244 (85x349) with 54 runs, 21 doubles, 2 triples, 19 home runs and 56 RBI in 93 games with AAA Tacoma this season. The right-handed hitting outfielder struck out 108 times while drawing 44 walks with the Rainiers, posting a .328 on-base percentage and a .479 slugging percentage. The native of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, appeared in 3 games for Team Canada in this year's World Baseball Classic. He went 1-for-11 (.091) with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.
O'Neill was originally selected by the Mariners in the 3rd round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Garibaldi Secondary School (Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada). In parts of 5 minor league seasons in the Mariners organization, he hit .269 (424x1579) with 235 runs, 84 doubles, 11 triples, 89 home runs, 300 RBI, 44 stolen bases, 168 walks, 507 strikeouts, a .344 on-base percentage and a .505 slugging mark in 418 career games.