It was a masterful stroke of genius for the Dodgers.
And they made it work only by convincing Gonzalez to waive his no-trade clause, telling him that if he declined to waive it, he’d be buried on the bench in 2018 with limited at-bats.
It wasn’t a threat, but a promise.
Gonzalez certainly wasn’t about to spend the final year of his contract, and perhaps his career, cheering on All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman on the bench, so he only agreed, agent John Boggs said, if the Braves agreed to designate him for assignment and make him a free agent.
Done.
“My final decision was not based on playing time,’’ Gonzalez said in a statement, “as I had agreed to a limited bench role. It is a way to test the free-agent market and see what opportunities are out there for me so I can make the best decision moving forward for me and my family. Lifting the no-trade clause is the hardest decision I have ever made in my career due to the fact that I loved every single second being a Dodger."
“I have talked through this whole process with (Dodgers president) Andrew (Friedman) and the Dodgers organization, and they are giving me this opportunity to see if there is a better fit for me somewhere else. As the roster stands right now, there might not be a spot for me on the roster.’’
Gonzalez will officially be a free agent on Wednesday where he can sign for the minimum salary, and have the Braves pay him for playing elsewhere, perhaps in his hometown of San Diego.
The Padres still badly want free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer, but if nothing else, this could give them a little leverage.