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March 28, 2014Buckeyes add transfer Anthony Lee for next season
March 29, 2014Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported this evening that the Indians have locked up their surprise young backstop Yan Gomes for the foreseeable future. The deal is a reported six years and worth $23 million. The deal includes two club options that could keep the Yanimal in a Cleveland uniform into his mid-thirties. This contract, per Jon Heyman, marks the largest given to a catcher pre-arbitration, breaking Carlos Santana’s record.
Source: #Indians, Yan Gomes agree to six-year, $23M contract with two club options.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 29, 2014
Gomes, 26, was arbitration eligible following the end of the 2015 season and would have been heading to the open market potentially following the 2018 season. This move effectively “buys out” his three arbitration years and his first year of free agency (plus an additional two years if the team so desires), a move that the Indians have used countless times in this era, including with Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana, and Michael Brantley (which actually could buy out two of his free agency years if they pick up his $11 million club option).
After playing both corner infield slots, outfield, and catcher for Toronto, searching for a positional home, Toronto was willing to part with Gomes. He was acquired from the Blue Jays along with utility infielder Mike Aviles in exchange for middle reliever turned starter Esmil Rogers, Gomes hit .294/.345/.481 (.826 OPS) with 11 homers and 38 RBI in 88 games behind the plate as he became the Indians full-time catcher in the second half playoff stretch run. Aviles and Gomes formed one-half of the “Goon Squad” along with Ryan Raburn and Jason Giambi that gave the Indians one of the most versatile and talented benches in the bigs, helping them win at the margins and finish the season on a 10-game tear.
Ironically, it was Yan’s play that forced the Indians to move Carlos Santana to a primarily 1B/DH role late in the season to put the best lineup on the field both offensively and defensively. Gomes was an assassin behind the dish, throwing out a phenomenal 41% of base-runners (the league average last season was 26%). This year, with Carlos Santana committing himself to a position change to third base, the door is wide open for Gomes to be the everyday catcher with Santana the only other catcher on the Opening Day roster to spell him.
With talks with starting pitcher Justin Masterson over and the Tribe ace all but certainly heading to free agency, the Indians’ next goal is to sign All-Star Jason Kipnis to a similar (albeit more lucrative) team-friendly deal.
4 Comments
Yan’s head must be spinning. Goes from hoping to make the team to $23 large guaranteed in a single year.
It might seem like an overpay at first glance, but it buys out all pre-arb, arbitration, and one year of free agency. An extension can still be worked out for Kipnis after the season ends similar to Brantley’s deal and this one, but the money will be closer (possibly greater) to the one Santana signed. Anyone else feel like the Indians did this 20 years ago?
Good news for the fans. Make sure Kipnis is next. This team needs to spend a little dough and this deal looks cheap even if we only get one more strong year out of him because he will always be a good late inning replacement if he stops hitting.
I like how the Miggy deal gets 8,000 comments and this gets three. This is good news.