Former St. Louis Cardinals first-round pick Marco Gonzales recently signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.
Gonzales, 34, hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2024.
He was originally a draft product of the Colorado Rockies in 2010, but opted not to sign. Eventually, he landed with St. Louis as a first-round pick, 19th overall in 2013, out of Gonzaga University.
Gonzales’ best season came in 2019 for the Seattle Mariners. During which he was a dependable arm in the rotation, tossing 203 innings to a 3.99 ERA and making a league-leading 34 starts.
The southpaw only appeared in St. Louis from 2014 to 2017 and never made a significant impact on the MLB roster. However, in his rookie season, he tossed 34.2 innings, making five starts, and pitched to a solid 4.15 ERA.
Gonzales was likely a whiff by the Cardinals’ front office at the time of his selection, but he’s carved out a nice career elsewhere.
Cardinals fans are likely missing a steady arm like Gonzales right now, as the team just lost its fourth straight game.
Social Media Reacts to St. Louis’ Recent Skid
Here’s what people are saying:
Brandon Kiley: “JJ Wetherholt is 4-for-22 with 0 walks & 0 extra base hire in his past 5 games. Jordan Walker’s last extra base hit was on June 13 (13 games ago) Ivan Herrera has 1 extra base hit in his past 12 games. Those are 3 of the 4 most critical components of the #STLCards’ offense.”
Jacob Cersosimo: “‘You’re going to go through stretches where your big boys don’t feel great. ‘ A 5-1 loss to the Marlins makes it 4 straight losses for the Cardinals. It’s been a struggling end to June when it comes to results as the #stlcards are 3-7 in the last 10 games. @KMOV|@MatrixMidwest.”
Benjamin Hochman: “St. Louis has a problem: its opening day starter.”
STL Sports Central: “Skip a start? Use an opener? Here’s Marmol on how the Cardinals are approaching Liberatore’s struggles.”
St. Louis Cardinals: “Some 2006 World Series champs in the house. Welcome back, Scott Spiezio, Jeff Suppan, and Chris Carpenter!”
Derick Goold: “‘I asked him, ‘What are you going to do? Stay in St. Louis?’ He didn’t really have an answer. He’ll have choices if he wants them,’ #Yankees Brian Cashman told me this past fall about John Mozeliak. Well, he made a choice …”
Tamar Sher: “Nolan Arenado’s first memory when reflecting on his time with the #stlcards wasn’t about himself at all. “Albert and his 700 homers…being part of that history, that moment, you can’t believe what’s happening.” His love for St. Louis and the organization stays strong. @KMOV|@MatrixMidwest.”
Seattle Sports: “Former #Mariners pitcher and three-time opening day starter Marco Gonzales recently signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.”
St. Louis Right Now
The Cardinals recently dropped a series to the Miami Marlins.
On June 27, they’ll try to salvage at least one game and end a four-game losing streak.
Kyle Leahy, who’s coming off a fantastic start against the D-Backs, will function as the ‘stopper’ tomorrow.
For the first time in quite a while, St. Louis finds itself out of the Wild Card by 0.5 games.
Not only will July set a deadline for trades, but it looms over this Cardinals’ roster like a monsoon. The deadline will bring deals, but more importantly, decisions.
Former Cardinals’ First-Round Draft Pick Signs With MLB Team