Editorials

Would Carlos Gomez Be a Good Fit in Los Angeles?

On Wednesday afternoon the Houston Astros made the somewhat surprising move of designating center fielder and former All-Star Carlos Gomez for assignment. For those that do not know, this means that the Astros have 10 days to either release Gomez or 7 days to place him on waivers to trade him. They can also outright him to the minors with his consent.

The Astros acquired both Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers in what appeared to be a blockbuster for Houston in 2015 when they traded outfield prospects Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana, right-hander Adrian Houser and left-hander Josh Hader to the Brewers.



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However, Gomez has struggled mightily in 2016 with a slash line of .210/.272/.322 in 85 games.

[graphiq id=”935IsmYWdw1″ title=”Carlos Gomez Career Home Runs and RBI” width=”600″ height=”555″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/935IsmYWdw1″ link=”http://baseball-players.pointafter.com/l/6058/Carlos-Gomez” link_text=”Carlos Gomez Career Home Runs and RBI | PointAfter” ]

Most surprisingly, the free-swinging outfielder has only managed to hit 5 home runs and 29 RBI. He is also only 1 strikeout away from matching his 2015 total with exactly 100 strikeouts already this season.

He even had a moment with Yasiel Puig.

As a former MVP vote getter and at only 30-years-old, the question becomes whether he still has anything left in the tank or whether he simply had a hot couple years in Milwaukee? If you believe, like I do, that he still has plenty left in the tank and he is just having a down year, you have to wonder whether a team like the Dodgers would be interested in signing the right handed outfielder.

A Timeline of Yasiel Puig’s Tumultuous 2016 Season

The Dodgers acquired right fielder Josh Reddick from the A’s just prior to the trade deadline, and as a result sent Yasiel Puig, a similar player in many respects, down to the minors. At first glance that seems to indicate that the Dodgers would not be interested in a player like Gomez. However, Gomez brings many things to the table that Puig simply does not.

First, Gomez brings 10 years of experience and nearly 3,800 at bats along with him. In those 10 years Gomez has hit over 100 home runs including as many 24 in 2013, when he finished 9th in the MVP race, and 23 in 2014.

Second, Gomez tends to be more durable than Puig, who has been rather injury prone in his young career. Gomez has played in as many as 153 games in a season and has played in 115 games or more in each of the last 4 seasons.

More importantly, it seems as if the Dodgers are simply ready to move on from Puig and on to anyone else who could potentially fill the left field void. Although Puig had done a pretty good job of staying out of the media for his off field antics this season, that all changed just a few days ago shortly after the Dodgers sent him down to the minors.

Instead of putting his head down and working hard to get himself back into the big leagues, Puig decided it would be a good idea to take his new teammates out to party hard while posting all of it on this not so safe for work video, which he posted on social media. The Dodgers have since responded by removing Puig’s merchandise and releasing a statement essentially condemning his actions.

The Dodgers have also shown interest in players similar to Gomez in the sense that they have avoided signing or trading for big name players that will either cost the team loads of money or prospects.

Gomez would cost the Dodgers neither of those as he is currently owed only the balance of his $9 million salary for 2016. As a team that can afford to pay players like Carl Crawford $33.6 million to NOT play for them, the Dodgers may view Gomez and his contract as a worthwhile risk.

[graphiq id=”1LDvDFIIdmt” title=”Los Angeles Dodgers 2016 Payroll Obligations” width=”600″ height=”463″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/1LDvDFIIdmt” link=”http://mlb-teams.pointafter.com/l/28/Los-Angeles-Dodgers” link_text=”Los Angeles Dodgers 2016 Payroll Obligations | PointAfter” ]

This is even more likely when you consider that the Dodgers recently tied the major league record for most players on the disabled list in a single season and it is only August. You can’t really blame them for stockpiling on players right now.

Carlos Gomez could end up being the difference maker on a team who is looking to make a late and somewhat improbable run at a 4th straight National League West title and their first World Series appearance in nearly 30 years.

If you ask me, the Dodgers would be foolish to not take the risk on the former All-Star outfielder.

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Chris Wolf

Chris was born in raised in Southern California where he attended CSULB. As a lifelong fan, Chris has strong opinions about all things Dodgers. He lives in the Bay Area, but proudly wears his Dodger Blue whenever he can. He is also the founder and editor of Dodgers Chatter.

7 Comments

  1. It’s not
    enough to just want a player, but you have to have room for that player.The Dodgers 40 man is filled, and with Brett
    Anderson, Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Andre Ethier, and Trayce Thompson all on
    the 60 day DL who could be moved to 40 man sometime before the end of the
    season, that’s five players that have to be moved off the 40 man before any of
    the five can be moved back on.I suppose
    you could keep Ethier and Thompson on the 60 day for the remainder of the year,
    and release Zach Walters.If healthy is
    Ethier or Thompson a better player down the stretch than Carlos Gomez?IMO yes, meaning Walters gets released for
    one of them, and there is no room for Gomez.Are you advocating a trade of Puig for Gomez?To me that would be punitive and very
    short-sighted.As much of pain that
    Yasiel has been, he is still a tremendously talented and a far better option
    than 50 games of Carlos Gomez.
    I would
    agree that Gomez is the type of player that Friedman/Zaidi would look at (low financial
    risk and high ceiling), but I cannot see a player move from the 40 man roster
    that would justify his addition.

  2. Let’s be a bit more accurate.  Puig didn’t take his teammates out to party.  The team had been on a losing streak and the players had gotten permission from the organization to take out a party bus and let off a little steam.  Was it stupid to post it on social media?  Yes, but the party was going to happen with or without Puig.

  3. Point well taken @AlwaysCompete. Yes the FO would have to make some touch calls in order to bring Gomez on but maybe worth it. Gomez is the type of player that can get hot down the stretch with just a change of scenery. With Scott Van Slyke recently added to the DL, LA could use Gomez. Also expansion of roaster due in September so there may be some room there to move players around.

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