The Mariners announced on Monday that the club signed starter Marco Gonzales to a four-year contract extension. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the deal is for $30 million total, beginning in 2021. The extension also includes a fifth-year club option.
Gonzales, who turns 28 years old in two weeks, would have become eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season, so the extension covers all three arbitration years as well as effectively buying out at least one year of free agency.
This past season, Gonzales made 34 starts for the Mariners, posting a solid 3.99 ERA with 147 strikeouts and 56 walks over 203 innings. He was one of only 15 pitchers in the league to accrue 200-plus innings. The Mariners certainly need the dependability Gonzales provides in the starting rotation, so it makes sense for the club to ink him to an extension.