Former Dodger Adrian Gonzalez Eyes Return To Baseball

Former Dodger first basemen Adrian Gonzalez is not ready to call it quits just yet. Jon Heyman reported Friday morning that Gonzalez will be attending a showcase in Los Angeles late in the upcoming week.

Adrian Gonzalez isn't gone just yet. he is planning to do a showcase in LA, probably by late next week. said to be in excellent shape. d-backs, tigers are among teams that could work.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 11, 2019

Gonzalez, 36, spent 6 seasons with the Dodgers after being traded from Boston to the west coast in a huge blockbuster trade in 2012. The five-time All-Star’s career OPS of .843, 317 home runs, and 1202 RBI’s is just a small glimpse of what A-Gon brought to the table. Gonzalez was traded to the Braves following the 2017 season and then quickly released by the team just a few days later. The Mets signed the veteran around this time last year and was released in June of the 2018 season.

Here is one of my favorite A-Gon moments from his time as a Dodger. His three-homer, four-hit game in 2015:

Growing up just a few short hours of Dodger Stadium, Gonzalez has called Southern California his home during both the season and the offseason, even during his two seasons in Boston. Heyman noted that Gonzalez seems to be in ‘excellent shape’, and that both the Diamondbacks and Tigers are two potential landing spots.

The Dodgers have at least 3 or 4 players that can play first base on a daily basis, including Freese, Bellinger, and Muncy. The chances of Gonzalez wearing Dodger blue again are slim. But hey, I’m sure plenty of people said the same thing about Russell Martin, and here he is making his return to Chavez Ravine.

Gonzalez could be a great clubhouse guy and also get his fair share of playing time. Now that Adrian is well past his prime, his days of 100+ starts a year are well beyond him. I could see the veteran ending up down in Phoenix in a D-Backs uniform, especially after the departing of Goldschmidt.