Gonzalez passed the 180-inning mark for the season Tuesday, causing his $12 million club option for 2018 to automatically vest, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

That could be a terrific bargain for the Nats if the 31-year-old lefty is able to come anywhere close to the 2.68 ERA and 1.15 WHIP he's posted so far this season. There are signs that Gonzalez will likely take a step backwards in 2018 -- from his 3.92 FIP to an average fastball velocity that has dipped below 90 mph for the first time since he became a regular big-league starter in 2010 -- but even if his performance returns to something closer to his career numbers, he'll be an important cog in a rotation anchored by aces Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.