After splitting time between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics in 2014, free agent Jonny Gomes is reportedly attracting interest from the Atlanta Braves.
MLB.com's Mark Bowman provided the news:
Gomes hit a combined .234/.327/.330 with six home runs and 37 RBI in 112 games between the Red Sox and A's last season.
It was a decidedly underwhelming campaign, but he still has some power and he hits left-handed pitching very well. For his career, he has a .277/.376/.485 slash line against lefties, compared to just .222/.307/.415 vs. right-handers, per Baseball-Reference.com.
As Bowman noted, that makes him a logical platoon partner with the switch-hitting Zoilo Almonte, whose two career home runs have both come against right-handed hitters.
Moreover, Gomes is a known positive presence in the clubhouse. In 2013, Will Middlebrooks talked about the 34-year-old's effect on the team, via MLB.com's Ian Browne:
He's fun guy who brings a lot of intensity, a lot of confidence, and he's just a sparkplug that kind of rubs off on everybody. He's not a guy that's always going to speak up and be a vocal leader, but he's going to show you through his actions. He's a very confident guy. He plays 110 percent—every play. That rubs off on all of us. We all want to play like that.
Ultimately, Gomes' eventual signing won't have a huge effect on the league. But he's a veteran presence who can be beneficial for a young team, which the Braves have, and he's a solid situational player who can serve as a decent fourth or fifth outfielder, which the Braves need with Nick Markakis recovering from offseason neck surgery.
Perhaps most importantly, he'll come with a low price tag.
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