These days, Gio Gonzalez gets lost in the shuffle of Nationals history. He was not on the 2019 World Series team, and could be a bit frustrating to watch due to his effectively wild nature. Because of that, some people forget just how good Gio was in DC.
Coming off a 2011 season where a young Nationals team went 80-81, Mike Rizzo was looking to take the team to the next level. He decided the best way to do that was to grab a frontline starter, to form a formidable trio with Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann. 2011 All-Star Gio Gonzalez was Mike Rizzo’s man.