More transactions out of the Tampa Bay Rays camp. Carlos Gomez inks one-year deal with incentives attached.
According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. the Rays have agreed on a one-year pact with free agent outfielder Carlos Gomez. The two-time all-star spent the 2017 season with the Texas Rangers.
Sources: Outfielder Carlos Gomez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rays.
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) February 21, 2018
Gomez will receive $4MM plus incentives according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While FanRags’ Jon Heyman provides additional notes on the deal.
It’s a 1-year ML deal for Gomez with #Rays, $4M plus some incentives. Subject to physical.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) February 21, 2018
Gomez gets 500K incentives, 500k assignment bonus #Rays
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 21, 2018
Since leaving the Brewers in 2015, the 32-year-old has struggled to regain the form that awarded him all-star honors in 2013 and 2014. Short stints with the Astros (2015-2016) and Rangers (2016-2017) did not work out and, as they so often do, Tampa Bay decided to take a chance on Gomez.
He earned $11.5MM last season with the Rangers, while batting .255 with 17 HR and 51 RBI. Considering that he only played in 105 games, those are decent numbers. Certainly not numbers that suggest a possible 65% decrease in salary.
If Gomez can remain healthy, and return to the 130-135 games-played range, which he hasn’t done since 2014, the best-case scenario for the Rays would be a 20 HR, 20 SB performance. Mike Trout, Wil Myers, Jose Altuve, Mookie Betts, Tommy Pham, Brett Gardner, Keon Broxton, Elvis Andrus, and Andrew Benintendi are the only players to reach the 20/20 mark last season.
