Thanks, I hadn't quite looked into it in any detail or considered that option. I think it would be an interesting gamble -- it might mean that whatever measly money there is to spend will be used for a clear offensive upgrade, rather than maybe spending most of it on a more comfortable stopgap player like Iglesias as a defensive wiz.
I'm on the fence about it. I think the inclination to interpret him as in the mix for SS makes a lot of sense, since Kang isn't going to play there, and it sounds like Frazier may be ticketed as the permanent starting 2B. There are so many moving parts with all these positions--3B, SS, 2B, RF-- but one possible angle to look at this is in terms of Polanco's replacement. Maybe we'll spend the money to get the solid bat in Gonzalez, and see what kind of coverage we can get from a competition at SS, with the larger goal being to have a cheap bridge to Tucker next year.
I still there there could be shoes to drop, so we have to wait and see what comes next, but it would definitely be an interesting gamble. I do think there is still the general positive sign here that we are moving on from Luplow and Moroff, who are both useful enough depth options, but we need to take some gambles to move beyond just a bunch of replacement level possibilities. As you point out, Gonzaelez might be able to outpace that.
One thing I'd still like to see as a gamble, which is so unlikely as to be stupid to even say, is to look at AJ Pollock as an option. Between not really needing a starter once Polanco comes back and also having to give up a pick, there's just no way, but I think his upside is a lot higher. However, even though it looks like he might be one of the most hyped mid-tier options in free agency, Gonzalez actually is starting to look like someone who could be the right target, precisely because he can start as Polanco's replacement but then settle into a super utility role, covering almost everywhere including Bell at 1B. I don't see any indication that the will or commitment is there to snag a mid-tier option like Gonzaelez or the riskier Pollock, but at least in theory if we have two league minimum players at SS, enough money might be available to try and concentrate it on one guy of that caliber.
