Cleveland Indians: Yan Gomes didn’t excel or disappoint in 2017

Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes didn’t have an amazing season in 2017, but he still stood out as the top catcher on the team.

The Francisco Mejia hype train keeps rolling along, but Cleveland Indians fans can get used to seeing a lot of Yan Gomes behind the plate once again in 2018.

Gomes appeared in 105 games in 2017, slashing a disappointing .232/.309/.399, but keeping the #DontRunOnYan tweets alive.

He didn’t play well enough to completely fend off Roberto Perez, who still appeared in 73 games last season. Luckily for Gomes, Perez didn’t do much better at the plate.

Offense from the catcher position has been an issue since Gomes won the Silver Slugger Award in 2014. Injuries have been a factor, but this poor play on offense has caused some fans to be ready for Mejia as early as last season.

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The tricky thing is the contract situation, as Gomes is with the team through at least 2019, with the organization holding options in both 2020 and 2021. Perez is here through at least 2020 with two club options as well.

A trade is always possible, and Gomes’ name may come up this summer if Mejia continues to progress in the minors.

He is already the team’s top prospect so it’s only a matter of time.

But for now, Gomes is set to be the primary option at catcher once again in 2018. And while his 2017 wasn’t all that great, he played close to his career averages of .244/.291/.418.

His best two seasons came in 2013 and 2014, so it remains to be seen if he is truly declining or if a full year of healthy baseball will lead him to having a breakout season in 2018. The other possibility is that he is what his averages state, and his defense is what makes him a weapon.

Gomes isn’t a star player, but he isn’t expected to be one in this lineup. He is reliable behind the plate and capable of outbursts on offense, or even entire seasons of success such as what he did in 2014.

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Fans are just hoping he has another breakout year in 2018. If he doesn’t, it may cost him his job in Cleveland.