Gomez's struggles with the Mets last season resulted in him being designated for assignment at the end of July, and he rejected his minor-league assignment to become a free agent. He remained a free agent for the rest of the year after hitting just .198/.278/.337 with three home runs in 34 games with the Mets. His struggles making contact persisted as Gomez fanned at a 30% clip for the third time in four years. Last season marked the first year in which Gomez did not record double-digit steals, as he had just four in his limited action. The 34-year-old was a valuable fantasy asset in his prime due to his above-average power and elite speed, but his sharp decline in recent years has put his major-league future in doubt. Fantasy owners should steer clear as Gomez's best days are clearly behind him.
Gomez isn't the first player to start off his career slowly followed by an amazing couple of seasons before a steady decline. Injuries have played a part, as has never fully developing his athletic tools into lasting baseball skills. Gomez's 2018 was a microcosm of his career as he slashed .180/.255/.325 through June 13, followed by a .298/.416/.423 stretch until Aug. 9, only to end the campaign positing a miserable .143/.213/.214 line. He will have a hard time finding anything close to regular playing time coming off such a poor end to the season combined with continued poor outfield defense. From a fantasy perspective, Gomez still has a little pop and speed, so if he's getting any level of consistent playing time, he can be an asset in single-league formats, provided you're willing to absorb a likely batting average hit. Mixed-league enthusiasts need not apply.
Not long ago, Gomez was seen as a fantasy stud; a perennial 20-30 threat. Injuries and some poor stretches at the plate over the past three seasons have dimmed his star considerably, but he's still very much relevant given his cross-category potential. Gomez did damage when he made contact in 2017, posting a 110 wRC+ (the third-best mark of his career) despite striking out 30 percent of the time; his 39 percent hard-hit rate ranked 34th among players with at least 400 plate appearances. Gomez took a step back in terms of success rate on the basepaths (13-for-18), and the lower-body injuries in recent years are troubling for a player whose value is tied closely to the stolen bases, but Gomez is still relatively young at 32 years old. Better health is far from a given, but with it, along with regular playing time in Tampa Bay, Gomez could return to fantasy prominence. He's especially appealing for those who miss out on speed early.
Gomez dealt with nagging injuries and more of his 2015 offensive woes before being released by the Astros. He caught on with Texas and revived his bat, hitting .284/.362/.543 with eight home runs over the final six weeks of the regular season. His production after joining the Rangers was awfully reminiscent to his peak years in 2013 and 2014. Which version of Go-Go will we see in 2017? He hopes to carry over his success with the Rangers, re-upping on a one-year $11.5 million deal. Gomez should be the everyday center fielder in Texas and remains a legit threat for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, or some combination of 40 between those two categories. Shrewd fantasy owners will shade his batting average back toward his career .257 mark, instead of the .284 he posted in his better back-to-back years. The struggles in Houston will result in a draft day discount relative to the five-category upside he showcased once again as a Ranger.
Gomez was acquired by Houston at the trade deadline last season after it was initially believed he was heading to the New York Mets. His triple-slash was empty but he did steal 10 bases with his new club after swiping just seven in 74 games with Milwaukee, as a hip injury affected his production on the basepaths earlier in the season. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old suffered a left intercostal strain in September, which put his availability for the playoffs in question. Gomez wasn't 100 percent healthy for the postseason and was limited as a pinch-runner and defensive substitute for the first two games of the ALDS, but he did hit two playoff homers for the Astros. The veteran outfielder can likely be had at a discount in 2016 drafts since injuries limited him to just 115 games last season.
Gomez contributed across the board last season, finishing no lower than 57th in the league in any of the five standard categories. He took over the leadoff job last season and performed particularly well in the role, finishing ninth in the league in runs and eighth in the league in stolen bases. His defense fell off a bit last season, but he will be entering his age-29 campaign and has finished each of the last two seasons with an OPS comfortably north of .800, so expect him to be among the top hitters in fantasy drafts in 2015.
Gomez posted an .809 OPS after the All-Star break in 2012 and followed that up with a career year in 2013, posting best-ever numbers in virtually every category. The combination of power and speed he provides is rivaled by few in the fantasy realm, as his totals of 43 home runs and 77 stolen bases over the last two seasons were matched by only Mike Trout and Alex Rios. Each of Gomez's 2013 slash numbers were the best of his career, and he is just entering his prime years, as he will be only 28 years old during the 2014 season, and it's possible that he could be even better.
Much maligned for his penchant to swing for the fences in years past, Gomez finally connected on a few of his uppercuts and produced a career-best 19 home runs last season. He demonstrated an improved eye at the plate, played Gold Glove defense in center field, and posted a career-best .463 slugging percentage. Gomez's OBP still leaves something to be desired, as his lowly .305 mark last season was a career best, but he possesses the elite speed necessary to steal a lot of bases when he gets on. To begin the season, he should have an opportunity to prove that his improvement in 2012 was not a fluke, but Logan Schafer could push Gomez for time if he struggles.
Gomez spent much of 2011 out of the lineup with a broken clavicle. He excelled as a bench player and right-handed platoon player after he returned from the injury. Those are probably the best roles for Gomez, who has never been able to realize his potential. He's superb defensively and stole 16 bases to just two caught stealing, but has never made much improvement at the plate. Gomez will get some stolen bases next season, but not much more and can really hurt a fantasy team's batting average if he's forced into a starting role.
Gomez showed little or no improvement in 2010, hitting .247/.298/.357 in 97 games. He plays above average defense, steals bases and swings at just about everything. The Brewers finally sent him to the minors in August and started using Lorenzo Cain in center, but the position is up for grabs with Cain's inclusion in the Zack Greinke deal. It appears as though the starting job belongs to Gomez by default, but he'll need to show signs of growth to keep the Brewers from looking elsewhere for a replacement.
Gomez enters 2010 as Milwaukee's starting center fielder with tantalizing speed and perhaps the best defense of any outfielder in baseball. After Minnesota aggressively gave Gomez a starting job in 2008, he lost playing time last season as the Twins shuffled between four outfielders and he appeared to take a step back at the plate. He also wasn't given the green light on the basepaths and didn't lay down as many bunts to utilize his speed (he led the AL in infield hits in 2008). However, he did draw more walks and struck out fewer times despite a lower batting average and on-base percentage. Gomez has the skill set to be an impact player with great speed on the bases, incredible range in the outfield (he led all of baseball in range factor in 2008) and some power. However, he also has great flaws with poor plate discipline and is caught stealing too often. If he finds plate discipline, he could develop into a star with 20-homer, 50-steal potential. Until then, he remains a risk to a fantasy team's batting average even though he may be a great source of steals as an everyday player with the Brewers.
Gomez was the centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade and showed star qualities, along with fundamental flaws, in his first season as a starting center fielder. The Twins aggressively gave Gomez the starting center field job out of spring training and also made him the leadoff hitter. Gomez showed great speed on the bases, incredible range in the outfield (he led all of baseball in range factor), led the AL in infield hits and set a Twins record for bunt hits. At the same time, Gomez had poor plate discipline and swung at the first pitch 40 percent of the time (sixth most in the AL), and was caught stealing 11 times in 44 stolen base attempts. The Twins belatedly moved him from the leadoff role to ninth in the order in July, finally realizing his speed couldn't offset his poor eye at the plate. Gomez should enter 2009 as the starting center fielder, but the Twins have five players regarded as starters for the outfield and DH, so any slump in spring training or early in the season could see him sent to Triple-A. Despite his flaws, Gomez is a potential fantasy superstar with outstanding speed and burgeoning power. He could be a 20-homer, 50-steal player if his plate discipline can have a Jose Reyes-like dramatic improvement. He could also fail to keep a regular job if he can't learn to stop hacking.
Gomez tore through Triple-A in April, hitting .301, and even though he was batting just .255 in May, he was called up when Moises Alou was injured. After struggling early, Gomez started to pick it up both offensively and defensively, spiltting time between left and right field with the Mets. However, Gomez broke the hamate bone in his left hand on a checked swing in early July, which required surgery that sidelined him for two months. Upon returning, he was used mainly as a pinch-hitter and runner in September while the team was in a pennant race. Like many young hitters, Gomez needs to find that line between aggressiveness and plate discipline, as he had a 27:8 K:BB ratio in 125 big-league at-bats, but he continued his growth on the basepaths, succeeding 29 times while only being thrown out seven times between two levels. After coming over to the Twins in the Johan Santana trade, Gomez will compete for the starting in center field this spring. It's possible the Twins may start him at Triple-A in order to improve his plate discipline and learn to drive the ball with his 6-foot-4 frame. If he wins any role in the majors, he'll have immediate fantasy impact due to his speed.
Gomez got off to a slow start in Double-A Binghamton, after skipping High-A St. Lucie, with just a .211/.291/.311 line through early-June. Part of that slow start might have been due to a strained back that kept him out of action for three weeks though it looked like much of it was due to him being overmatched at that level. Once Gomez returned to action, he hit the ground running, driving the ball over the field to finish the year at .281/.349/.423 while showing why many scouts feel he has a higher upside than Lastings Milledge. Gomez needs work on his plate discipline, evidenced by his poor 97:27 K:BB ratio. But he showed strides on the basepaths by making 41-of-50 steals after being caught 24 times in 2005. Gomez should start the year at Triple-A Norfolk and as his body and baseball mentality mature, he should start to hit home runs and be a power-speed threat for years to come.
Gomez shot onto the Mets' radar this year by leading the South Atlantic League with 64 steals. Most scouts believe his 6-4 frame will fill out as he matures, allowing him to wield a dangerous power-speed combination. Right now, he's a work in progress with just eight home runs and an 88/32 K/BB ratio, but his is a name to keep in mind.
