The Houston Astros announced they designated Carlos Gomez for assignment Wednesday, which means "the Mets may have another opportunity to bring the outfielder back to New York," per Howie Kussoy of the New York Post.
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Mets 'Have an Open Mind' on Gomez
Wednesday, Aug. 10
Kussoy noted the Mets nearly acquired Gomez from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade during the 2015 season in exchange for Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler, but health concerns surrounding Gomez's hip "nixed" the deal.
Since the Astros designated Gomez for assignment, he will likely be a free agent in 10 days if they cannot trade him, per Kussoy. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said his team "always [has] an open mind" when discussing the possibility of adding Gomez on Wednesday, per Kussoy.
Gomez played 58 games as a rookie for New York in 2007 before he was dealt to the Minnesota Twins as part of the trade that brought Johan Santana to the Mets. The outfielder played in Minnesota in 2008 and 2009 before joining the Brewers (2010-15) until he was traded to Houston.
On paper, Gomez has an impressive resume, but he has struggled mightily this season. He is slashing .210/.272/.322 with five home runs and 29 RBI and rated as a minus-six in total defensive runs saved above average in center field, per FanGraphs. For context, he rated as a plus-32 in total defensive runs saved above average in center when he won the Gold Glove in 2013.
At his best, Gomez was a National League All-Star in 2013 and 2014 with a combined 47 home runs. He slashed .267/.325/.452 with 87 long balls and 288 RBI with the Brewers, but he only has a mere nine home runs and 42 RBI in 126 games with Houston.
Gomez is 30 years old, and the drop-off in production is a serious red flag for any team interested in the outfielder. However, the Mets find themselves in third place in the NL East and nine games behind the Washington Nationals a year after they reached the World Series.
The primary reason for New York’s struggles is a lack of offensive firepower. As of Wednesday, it ranked an abysmal 29th in the league in total runs scored, per ESPN.com. Gomez does have a track record that implies he could help the Mets with those offensive concerns and represents a potential low-risk, high-reward option as time runs out on the 2016 postseason chase.
The mere possibility that he could tap into the player he was in 2013 and 2014 has to be intriguing for a reeling Mets squad.
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