Carlos González

Carlos Eduardo González, known affectionately as "CarGo" to baseball fans, spent a legendary career with the Colorado Rockies before ending his MLB career on the North Side of Chicago.

González initially signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Venezuela in 2002 and was part of a loaded farm system in the desert once he ascended to Top 100 prospect status in 2006. On December 14, 2007, the Diamondbacks traded González, Dana Eveland, Aaron Cunningham, Chris Carter, Brett Anderson, and Greg Smith to the Oakland Athletics for Dan Haren and Connor Robertson. He made his MLB debut for the A's in 2008, producing a .634 OPS and 1.1 bWAR in 316 plate appearances in his rookie season. Following his rookie campaign, he was dealt to the Rockies (along with Huston Street and Greg Smith) in exchange for Matt Holliday.

Thus began the legend of CarGo in Colorado. He was a star during their 2009 NLDS series against the Philadelphia Phillies (hitting .588 in four games) and finished third in NL MVP voting in 2010 after finishing in the top 5 in home runs, batting average, RBIs, and runs scored in the National League. In one of the most memorable moments of his career, González hit for the cycle on July 31, 2010, against the Chicago Cubs. He completed the feat by hitting a gargantuan walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In total, he spent 10 seasons in Colorado and produced three All-Star campaigns, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and won the 2010 NL Batting Title. He received something of an "injury prone" label as he only reached 150 games played in a season twice, but in truth, he was more prone to scratches and bruises than serious ailments. Excluding the 2014 season in which he played just 70 contests, CarGo averaged more than 130 games per season with the Rockies. He is one of just two players in franchise history to appear in three postseasons with the team (catcher Chris Iannetta being the other).

The outfielder was allowed to walk prior to the 2019 season, and after a brief hiatus in Cleveland, he signed with the Cubs on a minor league deal on May 30. He was recalled on June 3 and made one of the best defensive plays of his career in his first game in a Cubs uniform. His bat lagged behind — he slashed .175/.306/.300 (58 wRC+) with three extra-base hits and a zero-percent success rate on stolen bases (0-for-2) — and he ultimately ended up sticking around for just 15 games (49 plate appearances) before getting designated for assignment at the end of June. Still, it was a joy to get watch one of the most aesthetically-pleasing left-handed swings in baseball suit up for the Cubs, even if he was well past his prime by the time it happened.

[You have no idea how long it took to find that clip. I'm glad I did, but holy crap the Internet is going to explode eventually.]

After his tenure with the Cubs, González signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2020 season, though he never played at any level with the franchise due to the delayed season that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic. He retired shortly after, and he failed to stay on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2025 in his first go around after receiving just 0.5% of the vote.