This is one outlet's own report from Newsweek — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
Former Twins Top-100 Prospect, 32, Announces Abrupt Retirement
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Former major league pitcher Stephen Gonsalves has retired from professional baseball after an 11-year career that took him from top prospect status to five major league organizations and, ultimately, the Mexican League.
The 32-year-old left-hander announced on Instagram that his Aug. 2 start for the Conspiradores de Querétaro marked the final appearance of his career.
Gonsalves finished with 1,001 professional strikeouts after spending the last two seasons pitching in Mexico.
A San Diego native, Gonsalves was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of Cathedral Catholic High School. He steadily climbed through Minnesota's farm system and entered the 2018 season as one of baseball's Top-100 prospects before earning his first major league call-up later that year.
Gonsalves appeared in seven games, including four starts, for the Twins in 2018, going 2-2 with a 6.57 ERA. The command issues that would follow him throughout his career surfaced immediately. He walked 22 batters while striking out 16 in 24.2 innings, making it difficult to establish himself in Minnesota's rotation.
More news: Who Won the Dodgers-Tigers Blockbuster Tarik Skubal Trade?
Although he was still a consensus Top-100 prospect going into the 2019 season, Gonsalves did not make it back to an MLB mound until 2021. During that stretch, he changed organizations several times, moving through the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox systems after being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers.
Gonsalves resurfaced with Boston in 2021, making three relief appearances and allowing two runs in 4.1 innings. Those outings proved to be the final major league appearances of his career.
More news: Grading the Trade Deadline: MLB’s Biggest Winners and Losers
In January 2024, Gonsalves signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers . He appeared in four Cactus League games during spring training, allowing two runs in three innings, then opened the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Gonsalves held Pacific Coast League hitters to a .219 batting average and struck out more than a batter per inning across 15 appearances. But his command again proved costly, as he issued 20 walks in 18 innings and posted a 6.00 ERA before the Dodgers released him on May 24.
More news: Did MLB’s Labor Situation Make Tarik Skubal More Attractive to Dodgers?
Gonsalves finished the 2024 season with the Colorado Rockies' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, making 17 appearances before continuing his career in Mexico.
Gonsalves made 23 appearances this season before deciding his Aug. 2 outing would be his last, bringing to a close a professional career defined by perseverance through injuries and a nifty milestone: 1,001 career strikeouts.
"Ending your career with 1001 strikeouts is just the cherry on top of a long journey," his wife, Hali, wrote on Instagram .
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
