Seattle Mariners: 4 Catchers Who Could Replace Mike Zunino
By Ty Gonzalez
TRADE CANDIDATE: YAN GOMES
The biggest name on this list, Yan Gomes has reportedly been placed on the trading block by the Cleveland Indians. This comes after a year in which the 31-year-old Brazilian backstop slashed .266/.313/.449 on his way to his first career All-Star selection. Gomes brings a strong balance of offense and defense with him, giving the Mariners something a bit more consistent and productive from their catcher position while maintaining a strong defensive presence behind the plate.
Our Colby Patnode profiled Gomes and analyzed what a potential deal would entail for Seattle. The Indians are looking to dump all of Gomes’ $7 million salary for 2019, making him pretty affordable in a trade, prospect-wise. While 2019 is the only guaranteed year on his deal, Gomes has club options in both 2020 and 2021 worth $9 million and $11 million respectively. This gives the Mariners the ability to affordably acquire one of the best catchers in the MLB while also having full control on his future with the team.
Seattle is a bit tight on cash, however, so $7 million for a catcher might be too much for them after they’ve dumped Mike Zunino’s $4.2 million salary. This is also a move that’s only made if the M’s intend to compete this season, which is still up in the air. Unless they feel they can build a team able to compete with the upper echelon of the American League, Gomes doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. This is more of a “wait and see” situation.