Yan

Gomes

Gomes went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week and will head to free agency in search of a new opportunity. The 36-year-old veteran backstop should be able to latch on somewhere as a backup catching option for the remainder of the year.

He’ll probably catch on somewhere, but Gomes, who was batting .154/.179/.242 in 96 plate appearances, has looked pretty much done at age 36, even though he was still a perfectly fine starter just one year ago. Maybe the Phillies will want him as a steady hand while J.T. Realmuto is out.

The end can come quickly sometimes. The usually solid Gomes actually performed a little better than his career norms at age 35 last season, but he’s really slipped both offensively and defensively this year. Nido won’t help with the offense, but he is an excellent defender and he might cut into Miguel Amaya’s playing time some.

There were some questions whether Happ would be ready for Opening Day after dealing with a lingering left hamstring strain throughout spring training, but he’s ready. Here’s the full lineup that will face Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi on Thursday evening: Happ LF, Seiya Suzuki RF, Cody Bellinger CF, Christopher Morel DH, Dansby Swanson SS, Michael Busch 1B, Nico Hoerner 2B, Nick Madrigal 3B and Yan Gomes C.

They were off Jordan Lyles, so they count even less than most spring homers. Gomes remains a solid enough starting catcher, but he’ll probably play less than most starters, given that he’s 36 and he has an intriguing young backup in Miguel Amaya. He received 419 plate appearances last season, but that was boosted by 10 starts at DH and the Cubs would seem to have better options there now.

Gomes filled the void created by Willson Contreras’ departure last offseason, batting .267/.315/.408 with 10 homers, 63 RBI and one steal across 419 plate appearances, his highest single-season total since 2018. The 36-year-old backstop figures to split the catching duties in Chicago with youngster Miguel Amaya moving forward.

Sadly, the Cubs were eliminated from contention anyway. Gomes’ grand slam was the fifth of his career, and he knocked in five runs for the first time since May 21, 2017. He’s definitely been an asset while hitting .267/.315/.408 in 419 plate appearances this season, and the Cubs will likely exercise his $6 million option for next year, even if they’re hoping Miguel Amaya takes on an increased role.

The 36-year-old backstop smacked an RBI single off of Kyle Freeland in the sixth inning that extended the Cubs’ lead to 3-1. They were facing a one-run deficit in the ninth though when Gomes strode to the dish and delivered a clutch go-ahead two-run single off of Tyler Kinley that proved to be the difference in the ballgame. With his three-hit effort, Gomes is now hitting .275/.316/.418 to go along with nine homers and 52 RBI.

After starting the last two games, the veteran backstop will take Sunday afternoon off. Gomes has played well for Chicago this season and is hitting .266/.309/.413 with nine homers and 46 RBI across 340 plate appearances. Miguel Amaya will be Jameson Taillon’s batterymate on Sunday as the Cubs look to even up the series against Cincinnati.

A disappointment in his first year with the team, Gomes has been rock solid for the Cubs this season, hitting .273/.314/.435 with nine homers and 45 RBI in 312 plate appearances. The Cubs would like to find more time for Miguel Amaya behind the plate, but Gomes hasn’t made it easy with his performance.