Phillies rumors: Club could look to acquire Marco Gonzales from Mariners

Could Dave Dombrowski look to acquire Marco Gonzales for the Phillies rotation?

There are several “what-ifs” involving the 2022 National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.

What if the no-hitter never happened? What if José Alvarado never allowed the back-breaking home run in the championship clincher? What if manager Rob Thomson didn’t pull Zack Wheeler early?

Now, it appears there is another alternate scenario for Phillies fans to wonder about. According to a recent report from The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish, the Phillies negotiated to acquire left-handed starting pitcher Marco Gonzales from the Seattle Mariners. The transaction would have been part of a three-team trade that would send Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees to the National League West squad.

Instead, the Phillies made a last-minute trade before the August 2 deadline that sent outfield prospects Mickey Moniak and Jadiel Sanchez to the Los Angeles Angels for right-handed starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard.

With multiple holes currently in their 2023 starting pitching depth chart, could President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski look to make a second attempt at acquiring Gonzales, as MLBTradeRumors.com speculates?

Under club control through the 2025 season, Gonzales, 30, is an eight-year veteran who went 10-15 with a 4.13 ERA and 1.33 WHIP spanning 32 starts and 183 innings this past season. The year prior, the former first-round pick went 10-6 with a 3.96 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 25 starts and 143 1/3 innings. During the shortened 2020 season, Gonzales impressively went 7-2 with a 3.10 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 11 starts.

One has to wonder what would have been had the left-handed Gonzales pitched in the Fall Classic instead of Syndergaard.

Syndergaard recorded 8 1/3 innings this past postseason, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk — while striking out eight batters. In the World Series, Syndergaard was credited with a loss in Game 5, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out four batters in three innings.

Given the Mariners also snapped their lengthy postseason drought this fall, the club just may want to keep Gonzales — given he has been a mainstay in their rotation for the past five-plus seasons.

Time will tell how Dombrowski fills out the rotation and the other Phillies roster voids this offseason.