Phillies former pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez dies at 34
Former Phillies pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez was killed in a car accident Friday in Havana, Cuba
Former Phillies pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez was killed in a car accident Friday in Havana, Cuba. The news was originally reported by el Nuevo Herald, a Miami-based Spanish newspaper. Gonzalez was 34 years old.
Gonzalez was a very successful pitcher in Cuba. Over eight seasons there, Gonzalez had a 3.79 ERA against some of the best talent in Cuba. He was generally considered a top free agent coming out of Cuba which is why most reports had him initially signing with Philadelphia for almost $60 million. This was before concerns about his throwing arm arose.
Gonzalez left his family in Cuba and took up resident in Mexico after his successful defection in 2013. He previously tried to defect in 2012 but was caught and suspended from league play. After signing, Gonzalez talked about how tough the experience was for him:
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“It has been tough being away from my family,” Gonzalez said through a translator after the team signed him. “It has definitely been tough. I have no regrets, the distance between me and my family – my mother, aunts, cousins – is the only thing.”
Gonzalez signed with the Phils Aug. 30, 2013 as an amateur free agent at 29 years old. His contract was for three years and $12 million.
After signing, Gonzalez was unsure if he’d be in the rotation, bullpen, or even in the minors. After a lackluster spring training in 2014 ,the Phillies put him on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. Gonzalez eventually made his debut in September of 2014.
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He pitched in five and a third innings over six games to end the season with a 6.75 ERA. He spent 2015 either hurt or struggling in the minors and was released by the Phillies in March of 2016.
Gonzalez was signed after a flurry of Cuban defectors made their MLB debut. All-Stars like Yaisel Puig, Jose Abreu,and Yoenis Cespedes helped lead a new wave of Cuban free agents signings. While Gonzalez did not have the impact that others have, he was the first major international signing by the Phils.
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Gonzalez joins Roy Halladay, Darren Daulton, and Dallas Green as former Phils who recently passed away.