The Nationals bought out Gio Gonzalez‘s four years of arbitration and his first year of free agency:

The Nationals did not disclose financial terms for the deal, which also includes options for the 2017 and ’18 seasons.

I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. These types of deals are great for teams, however, as they give them cost certainty long term. A deal like this helps them decide if they can sign a big free agent like Prince Fielder.

Update: The contract guarantees $42 million over five years, with two option years.