Former Phillies hurler, Cuban star Gonzalez dies at 34

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, the Cuban right-hander who landed a three-year, $12-million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013 following his defection from the island, died Thursday in a car accident in Havana, according to reports from multiple outlets. He was 34.

On Friday afternoon, the Phillies confirmed his death and offered their thoughts and prayers to Gonzalez's family.

Once a highly touted prospect who for many years dominated with Vaqueros de La Habana in Serie Nacional, Cuba's top professional league, Gonzalez's career derailed following his defection due to injuries and ineffectiveness.

After landing that three-year deal with the Phillies, Gonzalez appeared in just six major-league games, stumbling to a 6.75 ERA in a half-dozen relief outings in 2014, then managing just a handful of appearances in the minor leagues the following season due to injury. A year later, roughly 24 hours before Opening Day, Gonzalez was released by the Phillies.