The Gio Gonzalez trade was an underrated moment in the Nats climb to contention
These days, Gio Gonzalez gets lost in the shuffle of Nationals history. He was not on the 2019 World Series team, and could be a bit frustrating to watch due to his effectively wild nature. Because of that, some people forget just how good Gio was in DC.
Coming off a 2011 season where a young Nationals team went 80-81, Mike Rizzo was looking to take the team to the next level. He decided the best way to do that was to grab a frontline starter, to form a formidable trio with Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann. 2011 All-Star Gio Gonzalez was Mike Rizzo’s man.
Rizzo sent out a major prospect haul of Brad Peacock, Derek Norris, Tommy Milone and AJ Cole. All of those guys were highly touted, and the first three ended up having long big league careers with successful moments. However, the Nats won the trade because they got the best player in the deal who was still only 26 years old. It goes to show that sometimes prospect hugging can be a unproductive approach.
In a somewhat uncharacteristic move, the Nationals quickly signed Gonzalez to an extension. Less than a month after the trade, the Nats locked up Gio to a five year $42 million deal. The Nationals showed ambition and bravery by making a big move to augment their existing young core. It is something Mike Rizzo should look back on now to reference.
Gio had the desired effect in 2012. The team went from 80 wins to 98 wins, and Gonzalez was a huge part of that. He was the Nats first ever 20 game winner, and finished third in Cy Young voting. 2012 is the second greatest season in Nats history to me because of all the youth and excitement. Nationals fans had never seen anything like it before. It brought playoff baseball back to the nations capital.
While 2012 was a career year for Gio, he remained effective for most of his time in DC. From 2012-2018, Gonzalez went 86-65 with a 3.62 ERA over 213 starts that spanned 1,253.1 innings. He took the ball every fifth day and delivered above average production.
2017 was another very fun season for Gio. After a down 2016, where he posted a 4.57 ERA, it looked like Gio was past his prime. His stuff wasn’t as good and the results weren’t there anymore. However, in 2017 he turned back the clock, posting a 2.96 ERA across 201 innings. He led the Nats to a fourth division title in six years.
By 2018, Gio’s stuff wasn’t the same and age was starting to catch up to him. With the Nats in the midst of a disappointing season, he was traded to Milwaukee for a package that never amounted to anything for the Nats. It is a shame he missed the 2019 World Series because he was a staple for so long.
Gio Gonzalez is one of the most underrated Nats of his era and deserves to get some shine. The move to trade for him is one of Mike Rizzo’s best and is something the Nats should look to replicate in the near future.