The Kansas City Royals added outfield depth Monday before the stretch run of the 2015 season in the form of Jonny Gomes, announced the team.
The Royals announced they received Gomes in exchange for minor league infielder Luis Valenzuela. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports noted the Royals also received cash. Gomes is eligible to play in the postseason, and Bob Fescoe of 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City, Missouri, pointed out there is room on the 40-man roster for the outfielder, so the Royals don’t need to make a corresponding move.
Valenzuela is 22 years old and boasts a .364 batting average with four home runs and 23 RBI in the minors this season, per MiLB.com.
Gomes started his career in 2003 with the Tampa Bay Rays and played six seasons before moving to the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. He sports a .223 average, seven home runs and 22 RBI for the Braves this year, although his average is .247 against left-handed pitching.
Five of his six homers also came against southpaws.
Gomes numbers do not jump off the page, but Dan Szymborski of ESPN pointed to the upside from Kansas City’s perspective:
Gomes is still a veteran presence in the locker room with postseason appearances on his resume. The Royals can use him as a spot starter against lefties if they need to rest a starter before the playoffs or in timely pinch-hitting opportunities down the stretch.
Kansas City sat atop the American League Central by a commanding 13 games entering play Monday and is a virtual lock to reach the postseason and compete for a second straight trip to the World Series.
There is nothing wrong with adding an experienced outfielder on the end of the bench with previous October baseball under his belt with marquee games looming.
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