READING, Pa. -- Let’s start with a hypothetical …
Suppose the Phillies trade back-of-the-bullpen relievers Antonio Bastardo and Jonathan Papelbon before the July 31 trade deadline, and suppose -- for all intents and purposes -- the Phillies are out of the race in the NL East.
Is that when 27-year-old Cuban defector Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, the so-called “International Man of Mystery,” finally joins the Phillies?
Though he was earmarked as a possible starter in the Phils’ rotation this season, things never materialized for Gonzalez during spring training. The right-hander had some trouble with arm fatigue and commanding his pitches before he ended up on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.
Following some rehab starts at Single A Clearwater, the team brass decided it might be best to work Gonzalez back with a few shorter stints out of the bullpen.
“We’re going to try to get him in the middle of the action and the bullpen is the easiest place to do it right now,” Phillies minor league director Joe Jordan said. “We’re not trying to lengthen him out right now -- it’s two, maybe three innings some times and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Hey, why not? After all, it’s a tactic that worked for the Cincinnati Reds with Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, who arrived on the scene with a big fastball, but not the stamina to match. After a few minor-league starts, Chapman moved to the bullpen and he’s been there ever since.
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Not only does Chapman have 96 saves in his first 231 big-league games, but he is also headed to his third straight All-Star Game next week.
Could the bullpen be where Gonzalez stakes his claim?
“I feel pretty good as a reliever, but it’s not up to me,” Gonzalez said in Spanish to translator Raywilly Gomez. “I feel good as a reliever, but I can’t predict what the future will be.”
Phils general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the plan is to move Gonzalez back into a starting role next season. It makes sense since Reading manager Dusty Wathan says Gonzalez approaches pitching out of the bullpen like a starter. Rather than attack hitters with his fastball and an off-speed pitch, Wathan says Gonzalez uses his entire arsenal.
“He’s pitching like a starter out of the bullpen. He’s using all of his pitches -- he has four quality pitches and most relievers don’t have four quality pitches,” Wathan said. “He uses all of his pitches.”
Still, the similarities with Chapman are there -- to a degree. Chapman is a lefty with a deceptive delivery that makes his 100-mph fastball nearly impossible to see. Gonzalez isn’t as extreme, but his fastball is topping 97 mph and his arm strength has reappeared.
Better yet, Gonzalez has turned in some results to match.
Working every three days for Double A Reading, Gonzalez has allowed a run on three hits and a pair of walks in five innings. He also has nine strikeouts. Combined with his eight outings for Single A Clearwater, Gonzalez has 20 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings.
That stat is a pretty good indicator of what kind of repertoire Gonzalez has.
“I don’t see why not,” Wathan said when asked if Gonzalez could be a top-level reliever. “I haven’t seen him start, but he’s been good each time I’ve seen him. He’s been pitching multiple innings, and the next step is to get him in during the middle of an inning and see how he reacts to that.”
In the meantime, there have been plenty of adjustments for Gonzalez outside of the ballpark. He was caught trying to defect from Cuba in 2012 and suspended from pitching in the Cuban pro league. He made it to Mexico in 2013, where he tried out for major-league clubs before signing a four-year, $12 million deal with the Phillies.
By then, Gonzalez hadn’t pitched competitively since 2011, so it’s no surprise he struggled and was injured during spring training.
Throughout his ordeal, Gonzalez said he spoke with a few of his fellow countrymen who also left Cuba to play baseball in the United States. In particular, Gonzalez keeps in contact with former Phillie Jose Contreras, who also had arm trouble shortly after defecting.
“I’ve talked to some [Cuban big-leaguers], especially Contreras,” Gonzalez said. “He told me [life in the U.S.] is different, but he told me to work hard and prove that I belong.”
Contreras, a legendary figure in Cuba, pitched for 10 seasons in the big leagues for the Yankees, White Sox, Rockies, Phillies and Pirates. He made it to the World Series with the Yankees, won one with the White Sox, and pitched in the playoffs with the Rockies and Phillies. Contreras also went from pitching as an ace starter to a back-of-the-bullpen reliever later in his career.
If there are footsteps to follow, Contreras' are a great choice. In the meantime, Gonzalez is working on climbing the ladder and hoping for a stop in the big leagues very soon.
“I think I will be there soon,” Gonzalez said.
It’s quite possible Gonzalez is correct. After all, he says he feels as healthy pitching as he did before he defected -- if not stronger. Plus, without a few years of wear and tear on his pitching arm, Gonzalez might finally be ready for the big stage.
“It felt kind of weird, because I’m used to throwing every single day,” Gonzalez said, putting the injuries behind him. “But once I got back I said, ‘OK, I’m still here and I still have the talent and I’m going to prove it.’
“It was frustrating at the beginning, but I feel great.”