Dodgers News: Victor Gonzalez Released by Yankees, Now a Free Agent Seeking New Opportunity
Victor Gonzalez, formerly of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has officially become a free agent after being released by the New York Yankees.
The Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders confirmed the release, marking a significant moment in Gonzalez’s career.
Traded to the Yankees in December 2023, Gonzalez was part of a deal that sent away promising infielder Trey Sweeney. His journey over the past year has been tumultuous, reflecting both potential and struggles. During his time with the Yankees, Gonzalez posted a 3.86 earned run average (ERA) through 27 appearances. He showed flashes of his potential, particularly holding left-handed batters to a mere .143 average.
However, his performance began to wane as his walk rate surged to an alarming 13.4%, which exceeded his strikeout rate of 11.3%. Following these struggles, Gonzalez was designated for assignment, and he subsequently was reassigned to Triple-A, where he managed a 4.50 ERA over 22 innings. Gonzalez’s earlier years with the Dodgers were marked by impressive achievements. He debuted in 2020 with a striking 1.33 ERA across 20.1 innings.
Particularly noteworthy was his contribution during the Dodgers’ World Series push, where he maintained a commendable 2.70 ERA. However, an elbow debridement surgery in 2022 sidelined him for an entire season, leading to a mixed performance upon his return in 2023. As a free agent, Gonzalez will seek to rejuvenate his career and find a new opportunity to showcase his abilities. His 4.00+ ERA records in 2024 contrast his past potential, highlighting the variability of a player’s journey in the MLB.
ATLANTA — Splitting a four-game set against the Dodgers doesn’t seem too bad, unless you account for how the Braves could have won this series.
The Braves took their offensive frustrations to another level as they squandered a few prime scoring opportunities during the early stages of a 9-0 loss to the Dodgers on Monday night at Truist Park. They suffered their 11th shutout loss despite putting a runner in scoring position with one out or less during each of the first four innings.
“I guess it just makes it more frustrating against a team like that, this late in the season, when you’re trying to make a push for a playoff spot,” Braves center fielder Michael Harris II said. “I guess we now know we have to really lock in and come through in those situations.”
While Atlanta went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, the Dodgers needed just two hits — a single and a double — to tally three runs during Max Fried’s six-inning effort. The game became a rout when Daysbel Hernández and Aaron Bummer combined to allow six runs on just two hits in the seventh.
This was the second time in modern history (since 1901) that the Braves allowed nine runs or more on four hits or fewer. They last did so during a June 4, 2021 loss to the Dodgers. That season ended in celebratory fashion.
How this season will conclude remains in doubt. With a 2-1, 10-inning win over the Nationals on Monday, the Mets regained a one-game lead over the Braves in the battle for the National League’s third and final Wild Card spot.
“We’ve got a handful of games left,” Fried said. “Every game matters. Every single guy knows what’s coming down and what kind of baseball we need to play. At the end of the day, you just have to leave everything out there.”
