Taking a year off from Major League Baseball after the age of 30 isn't the typical formula for a player to succeed, but that's what veteran left-hander Marco Gonzales is looking to accomplish. Gonzales, a 10-year major league veteran with the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, and Pittsburgh Pirates, missed the entire past season after undergoing flexor tendon surgery in his elbow in August of 2024. Heyman also reported that Gonzales will receive a $1.5 million base salary if he makes the major league roster, with an additional $1 million in possible bonuses. The best full season of Gonzales' career was 2019, when he went 16-13 for the Mariners. Entering his age-34 season, Gonzales is something of an unknown coming into Padres camp.