According to a report from Mike Puma of the New York Post, he Mets are selecting the contract of Carlos Gomez from Triple-A Syracuse. This is not surprising, as it comes right after Michael Conforto was diagnosed with a concussion after a collision with Robinson Cano. MLB rules stipulate that any player diagnosed with a concussion has to go on the 7-day concussion IL.
The Mets signed Gomez to a minor league deal in the offseason to add a little bit of veteran depth to their very thin outfield depth. Gomez got off to a slow start playing with a slew of fellow veterans in Syracuse, but has caught fire in the month of May, posting a .361/.429/.778 line. He hit a three-run homer in Thursday’s game before he was lifted in the sxith inning, foreshadowing his eventual selection by the Major League club.
Gomez is familiar with the Mets, as he signed with them as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2002, at the age of just 16. He made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2007, posting a 0.3 WAR in 58 games before he was traded to the Twins in a package for Johan Santana.
Since then, he’s spent two years with the Twins, five-plus years with the Brewers, as well as stints with the Astros, Rangers, and Rays. He has had a very successful MLB career, accumulating 25.1 WAR to date. He is a two-time All-Star as well as a one-time Gold Glove Award winner.
However, Gomez is 33 years old now and has declined both offensively and defensively. Last year, he posted an ugly 80 wRC+ and -0.5 WAR in 188 games with the Rays. But with Juan Lagares and especially Keon Broxton struggling, and with Conforto’s injury, Gomez is going to have a big opportunity to prove that he still has something left at this level.
Gomez is currently not on the 40-man roster, but with the setback of Jed Lowrie, the Mets can simply move him to the 60-day IL to make room, while Conforto will be added to the 7-day concussion list.
Gomez is expected to join the team in Miami for the start of their three-game set against the Marlins.
