New York Mets: Would Yan Gomes be the best fit?
By Jason Evans
The New York Mets and Cleveland Indians are discussing a trade for catcher Yan Gomes. Would he be the best fit for them behind the plate?
As new New York Mets GM Brodie Van Waganen figures out how to reshape a club that has not made the playoffs in a couple of years, one spot they need to address is at catcher. Travis d’Arnaud had Tommy John surgery last season and could be non-tendered. Kevin Plawecki and Tomas Nido are options, but probably not good enough to start. Devin Mesoraco is now a free agent along with Jose Lobaton.
The New York Mets may turn to manager Mickey Calloway’s old catcher with the Cleveland Indians in Yan Gomes.
The 31 year old is set to make a little over $7 million next season, with team options for $9 million in 2020 and $11 million in 2021.
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Gomes made his first All-Star team last season, hitting .266 with a .762 OPS. Gomes had an FRAA of 9.1 which was 14th among catchers last season per Baseball Prospectus.
Depending on what kind of return the New York Mets have to give for Gomes, this makes a lot of sense for them. They are a team based on their pitching, so you need a quality catcher behind the plate. Part of the New York Mets problems last year was the fact that they weren’t getting anything out of that position on either side of the ball for a good chunk of the season.
On the free agent market, even though Kurt Suzuki and Jeff Mathis already signed, there are still quality catchers on the free agent market. Yasmani Grandal and Wilson Ramos haven’t signed yet, though they will probably command more money and potentially years than Gomes has left on his deal.
As the Cleveland Indians look to retool their roster and shuffle payroll around, Gomes seems to be out there for the taking. If the New York Mets are serious about winning in 2019, they have to upgrade at catcher. Gomes provides decent offense at the position and solid defense, something they have not had there in a long time. This would be a great start to their off-season if they can pull this off.
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As much as Grandal is probably the better player, I’m not sure the New York Mets would want to pay him the money he’s looking for, even though they have $0 on the books in two years. Get Gomes then upgrade the bullpen.