HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 18: Marwwin Gonzalez #9 of the Houston Astros reacts after striking out in the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) The Minnesota Twins have found their Swiss Army knife in Marwin Gonzalez. Marwin Gonzalez has signed with the Minnesota Twins on a two-year contract valued at $21M. After drawing comparisons to Ben Zobrist, he ultimately settled for a smaller guarantee but still provides value in the same ways that prime Zobrist did. Gonzalez can start adequately at any non-catcher defensive position and provide at least league average offense. Having Gonzalez around also allows you to carry an extra pitcher since you need less flexibility among your reserves. He was an unsung hero and major contributor to the World Series winning Astros. At the outset of free agency, he was expected to receive a significantly larger offer. The Twins were wise to sign him up on the cheap. Gonzalez is now 30 years old will likely continue to fill the same role he did in Houston. Looking at the Fangraphs depth chart, they don’t have an obvious weakness among their starting fielders, projecting for at least 1.7 WAR at every position. But we know what is projected rarely comes to fruition. Players get hurt, under-perform, and need rest in general. Even though there he doesn’t have a dedicated position, Gonzalez will likely get close to a full season of at-bats. With free agency continuing to be harsh to players, Gonzalez having 1.5 WAR in each of his seasons will be a steal for the Twins and there is a strong chance he will likely do better. Having already signed Nelson Cruz, several extensions, and bringing in quality role players like C.J. Cron and Jonathon Schoop, the Twins have had themselves a quiet but decent off-season. They still have the payroll to make some more upgrades. Dallas Keuchel would look good in that rotation and division but that’s a different conversation. Today, the Twins signed a good player and made their team better. Across the board, they have a solid team and with steps forward from Max Kepler and rebounds from Buxton and Sano, could push the Indians who continue to look vulnerable. Gonzalez is a solid player who can contribute across the diamond in the Swiss Army knife role that has become critical for flexibility in team building. Want your voice heard? Join the Call To The Pen team! Write for us! Every team is looking for their version of Marwin Gonzalez, and the Minnesota Twins got the real thing.<doc-sep>Marwin Gonzalez bridged the 100-loss and World Series teams in Houston, but he’s moving on from the Astros in 2019. (AP Photo) Marwin Gonzalez is reportedly signing with the Minnesota Twins. The 29-year-old utility player agreed to a deal with the franchise Friday, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. ESPN’s Jeff Passan notes the deal is for two years, $21 million. Utilityman Marwin Gonzalez is in agreement with the Minnesota Twins on a two-year, $21 million deal, league sources tell ESPN. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 22, 2019 This is a rather notable pickup for a Twins team that feels it’s in striking distance of an American League Central crown right now. After adding Nelson Cruz and Jonathan Schoop earlier this offseason — as well as extending the likes of Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco for five years each — the addition of Gonzalez seems to fortify Minnesota’s lineup. It also takes away a potential acquisition for an AL Central rival, as the Chicago White Sox were rumored as a finalist to sign the utilityman after missing out on Manny Machado. Gonzalez has been the ultimate plug-and-play guy with the Houston Astros over the last seven seasons, getting reps at shortstop, first base and in the outfield. Regardless of where he’s been stationed in the field, he’s been able to deliver at the plate — especially in the postseason, where managers have become all too happy to shuffle their defensive lineups to get a few extra bats in the game. In the American League Division Series last year, he was arguably Houston’s best offensive weapon, collecting seven hits in 13 official at-bats with five runs batted in against the Cleveland Indians. That built off an already successful postseason run when he added five hits, three runs, four walks and two RBI in a World Series victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. That’s all without taking into account the work Gonzalez did in the regular season. His career slash line of .264/.318/.419 is more than respectable, especially as he’s just one year removed from a career-best season that saw him hit over .300 with 23 home runs. Story continues But Gonzalez was a bit less disciplined at the plate in 2018 versus 2017, which could be one reason why he’s coming off a career-worst 22.8 percent strikeout rate as he slashed .247/.324/.409 with 16 home runs last season. In any case, Houston chose not to extend a qualifying offer of $17.9 million for one year as that deadline hit in October. So the 29-year-old instead hit the open market for the first time. Gonzalez may not be considered one of the core Astros, yet he was on their roster for a pair of 100-loss seasons and was able to make it through the rebuild to become an integral part of a few deep postseason runs. The championship window in Houston is certainly still open, but there were few luxuries greater than the versatility that Gonzalez provided. In 2018 he made an appearance at every position except starter and catcher. There aren’t many players in the league who can do that with as much success as Gonzalez. – – – – – – Blake Schuster is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!<doc-sep>Former Astros utility man Marwin Gonzalez has agreed to a deal with the Minnesota Twins worth $21 million over two years. The deal was first reported by MLB Network's Jon Heyman and confirmed by several other reports. Heyman reports the contract will be finalized when Gonzalez passes his physical. Gonzalez made $5.125 million with the Astros last season. Gonzalez played seven seasons with the Astros and had a breakout year in 2017, hitting .303 with 23 home runs and 90 RBIs. He also provided one of the biggest hits in franchise history when he homered off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning to tie up Game 2 of the World Series. The Astros went on to win that game in extra innings and win the series. Gonzalez hit .247 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs last season, while playing every position except catcher and pitcher. The Astros hope the trade for Aledmys Diaz in November will help fill the void left by Gonzalez. The 28-year-old Diaz hit .263 with 18 home runs and 55 RBIs last season for the Blue Jays while playing shortstop and third base. The Astros expect Diaz to also play the outfield this season. As news of Gonzalez's signing spread, several of his former Astros teammates tweeted out their support. Lance McCullers tweeted: 'Good luck and CONGRATS to one of the most underrated players in the history of baseball. Your impact on our club house and team will be lasting. One of the most clutch hitters and best defenders around. Congrats my brother!" "Love you Marwin! Congrats," Alex Bregman tweeted. Dallas Keuchel tweeted: "Breaking news: I still miss (Marwin) and will continue to miss him while he's in his new uni."<doc-sep>
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 18: Marwin Gonzalez #9 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Former Astros utility player extraordinaire Marwin Gonzalez’s trip to free agency results in a move up north. At long last, Marwin Gonzalez‘s stay on the free agent market is over. News broke on Twitter that the former Astro agreed to a two-year, $21 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. This comes despite Astros owner Jim Crane recently stating he was hopeful Gonzalez would return. MLB Trade Rumors correctly predicted Gonzalez to sign with the Twins, though the contract terms came out differently. MLBTR predicted a four-year, $36 million deal for Gonzalez, so he beat the projection in terms of average annual value, but fell short on the length. Gonzalez earned $5.125 million in 2018, so he will be earning a little more than double that amount per year across the next two years. His role in Minnesota will likely be similar to his role in Houston — an everyday Swiss Army knife. Thanks to his unique versatility, Gonzalez could fit on essentially every MLB roster. He played all seven infield/outfield positions for the Astros in 2018 and received some MVP consideration in 2017 after posting a .303/.377/.530 batting line. He racked up more than 500 plate appearances in each of the last three seasons, so he was essentially a regular, albeit without a regular position. Of course, his most well-remembered contribution to the Astros will be his game-tying home run off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen in the 9th inning of Game 2 of the 2017 World Series. The Astros would go on to win the game in 11 innings, preventing them from falling into a 2-0 hole. With Gonzalez out of the picture, the Astros will turn to trade acquisition Aledmys Diaz to be the utility infielder, with Yuli Gurriel and Tyler White seeing time at the corner infield positions. There’s plenty of depth in the outfield, with Michael Brantley joining George Springer, Josh Reddick and Kyle Tucker in the mix. Jake Marisnick and Derek Fisher remain on hand as additional depth.