Gonzales was optioned to Triple-A on Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The Cardinals simply don't have room for Gonzales in the rotation to start the season, but he'll be a candidate to receive a call up in the event of an injury or performance drop-off. Gonzales made 18 starts across multiple minor league levels last season and posted a cumulative 4.69 ERA with a 1.562 WHIP across 80.2 innings.