Could Romy Gonzalez make Red Sox’ Opening Day roster?

The Red Sox have several offseason additions vying for Opening Day roster spots at spring training in Fort Myers, including the versatile Romy Gonzalez.

Gonalez is a veteran of three major-league seasons who was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in late January. The 27-year-old had lost his spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster after the club signed right-hander John Brebbia to a one-year deal, but he did not stay in DFA limbo for long.

A Florida native, Gonzalez was originally selected by the White Sox in the 18th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Miami. The former Hurricane signed with Chicago for $125,000 and made his professional debut in the Pioneer League that summer.

After spending the entirety of his first full pro season with Class-A Kannapolis in 2019, Gonzalez’s baseball career was temporarily put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He did not receive an invite to the White Sox’ alternate training site in 2020, but he evidently used the time off to his advantage.

To start off the 2021 campaign, Gonzalez batted .267/.355/.502 with 11 doubles, 20 home runs, 47 RBIs, 52 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 97 strikeouts in his first 78 games (344 plate appearances) with Double-A Birmingham. The right-handed hitter then earned a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte, where he went 11-for-32 (.344) with three homers and 10 RBIs over nine games through the end of August.

With MLB rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players on the first of September, Gonzalez received his first call-up and then made his big-league debut three days shy of his 25th birthday on Sept. 3. Gonzalez’s first stint with the White Sox lasted exactly three weeks, as he went 8-for-32 (.250) while appearing in 10 games for Chicago before being sent back down to Charlotte for the remainder of the season.

On the heels of a productive 2021 in which he was named the White Sox’ Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, Gonzalez seemed primed for a breakout of sorts in 2022. He came into the season ranked by BA as the No. 15 prospect in Chicago’s farm system, but he did not make his return to the South Side until late August due in part to multiple stints on the minor-league injured list.

Gonzalez spent the rest of the 2022 season with the White Sox after being recalled from Charlotte on Aug. 17. In that time, he slashed .238/.257/.352 with four doubles, one triple, the first two home runs of his major-league career, 11 runs driven in, 15 runs scored, two walks, and 39 strikeouts across 32 games spanning 109 trips to the plate. He then made his first Opening Day roster the following spring, but the offensive struggles continued.

In 44 games with the White Sox last year, Gonzalez produced a .194/.208/.376 slash line with four doubles, two triples, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, seven stolen bases, two walks, and 36 strikeouts over 97 plate appearances. He was sidelined with right shoulder inflammation for most of May and was then placed on the 10-day injured list on June 19 for the very same reason.

After being transferred to the 60-day injured list in early July, Gonzalez underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder over the All-Star break. The White Sox were optimistic that Gonzalez would be ready for the start of spring training, but that procedure effectively ended his tenure with the only organization he had known before being scooped up by the Red Sox last month.

All told, Gonzalez is a lifetime .222/.239/.361 hitter with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 30 runs scored, seven stolen bases, five walks, and 86 strikeouts in 86 career big-league games from 2021-2023. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder saw playing time at six different positions (second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, and right field) in his three seasons with the White Sox. As a second baseman (his primary spot in that span), he has been worth one out above average over 417 2/3 innings.

Equipped with raw power, speed, and positional versatility, Gonzalez profiles as an intriguing pick-up with some upside who could benefit from a change of scenery. His injury history and propensity to strike out at high rates are concerning, but he has minor-league options remaining.

Assuming he stays healthy, Gonzalez should have a chance to compete with the likes of Bobby Dalbec and Pablo Reyes for spot on the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster as a utility man who can come off the bench when needed. If that does not come to fruition, Gonzalez figures to provide Boston with depth at Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2024 campaign.