MLB: Jonny Gomes Plans to Play in 2017

Despite not playing in the majors since 2015, Jonny Gomes intends to play in the 2017 season, as reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

While Jonny Gomes has never excelled at one aspect of the game, he has always found a role in MLB as a beloved clubhouse presence and powerful pull hitter. After playing a vital role in the Boston Red Sox World Series victory in 2013, Gomes saw his career quickly decline, however.

The now 36-year-old was traded to the Oakland Athletics to aid in their 2014 postseason run, and parlayed his time in the Bay Area to a deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2015.  Gomes wasn’t expected to do much in Atlanta, but his power significantly declined and his plate discipline remained an issue.

Eventually, the Braves shipped Gomes to the Kansas City Royals during their run to the 2015 World Series. Gomes only appeared in 12 games for the Royals down the stretch and none in the postseason, but his integral role in the Royals victory parade cemented his popularity with the franchise.

This past season, Gomes made a move to Japan in hopes of reclaiming some value and securing a deal with a big league team down the stretch. After a stint with NPB’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, Gomes found little interest from teams for a major league contract. There was interest from teams for a minor league deal, but Gomes was only interested in a major league deal at the time.

But now, Gomes has expressed interest in returning to the majors next season.

The path to the majors is much less clear for Gomes now, but a strong performance in spring training could lead to a deal with a team looking for bench power. However, if Gomes fails to show much of anything in the spring, he’ll likely need to head to the minors to at least start the season.

In his last two seasons in the majors, Gomes did fare well against lefties, as he posted a .276 average in 2014 and hit five homers against lefties in 2015.

Given his respect around the game, Gomes will likely garner some interest heading into spring training, and he’ll then need to prove himself in order to secure a deal. Assuming the Seattle Mariners trade Seth Smith for a pitcher, the team could be in need of a powerful bat off the bench. Other options include the St. Louis Cardinals, who are now without Matt Holliday, or even the Baltimore Orioles if they can’t re-sign Mark Trumbo.

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It’s unclear where Gomes fits into the narrative surrounding the 2017 season, but he’ll likely make a splash in some way or another.