Cleveland Indians: Should They Consider Carlos Gomez?

Could a Change of Scenery Help Gomez?

Maybe one can argue a change of scenery would help Gomez as he did hit well before going to Houston and has struggled since. But will a change of scenery really turn a guy who’s been a negative value player this season (-0.4 fWAR) into a serviceable player? Would a move out of Houston help Gomez remember how to play defense?

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After being one of the better defensive centerfielders in the game, Gomez has struggled this year posting a -6 DRS and -0.1 UZR. For his career, he’s a +72 DRS and +81.5 UZR player in center field so perhaps that area is just a blip on the radar but at 30 years old he could be getting into the Michael Bourn territory of simply being on the decline with age.

The biggest issue with Gomez though has been the strikeouts. A career 23.1% strikeout rate has ballooned to 31% this season, which helps explain why he’s batting just .210 despite a .300 average on balls in play. Maybe that’s just a slump for Gomez but going on four months and 85 games makes it start to look very worrisome and it explains why the Astros cut ties with him, despite trying to get into the playoffs themselves.

One of the only positives one can pull from Gomez season is his baserunning. He does have 13 stolen bases on the year and has been caught just twice (86.7% success rate). He could add to the Tribe’s baserunning prowess off the bench and be a nice weapon in a playoff series when every run means so much.

Next: Why Not if He's Free?