2023 Cubs player profiles: Yan Gomes

We’ll be finishing up the current crop of fielders/reserves this week, and then start with the pitching staff next week. First up, Yan Gomes, the other half of the Cubs’ two-headed catching combo (Luis Torrens doesn’t really figure here as yet).

35-year-old Brazilian native Yan Gomes is a veteran of many a successful MLB campaign, having spent time with Toronto, Cleveland, Washington, and Oakland, before landing in Chicago for what is presumably the capstone of his career.

Cubs pitchers have been vocal about their enjoyment of his catching skills. His effect on the staff has been noticeable, since last year when he debuted. During the game Sunday, I didn’t notice Marcus Stroman shaking Gomes off much if at all. They seemed to be on the same page as far as the game plan and pitching sequences. Mookie Betts and Max Muncy also had that page, apparently, but I didn’t see where either pitch was actually bad. Those guys are kind of good, you know.

Yan Gomes also has some good pop as a batter. His 162-game average is .246/.295/.418 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI. He has four home runs at this point in 2023, in 51 plate appearances, including one off Clayton Kershaw Sunday. That’s flat-out solid for an MLB catcher, and he does well, even at his for-the-sport advanced age. I’m not sure that it’s enough to get him another deal, with Miguel Amaya again making noise in the minors and Luis Torrens on the MLB side of things.

They must see something in Torrens. I’ll explore that in a couple of days. Dom Nuñez may or may not figure into this equation as well. Bryce Windham and Jake Washer are probably not in the MLB graduation plans, based on their production to-date.

It wouldn’t be a terrible thing if the Cubs signed Gomes to another year, with that all said. He still has some skills, especially if he’s in the shorter half of a platoon, which would be likely with Tucker Barnhart hitting against righthanders. Amaya is in Double-A, and while he’s doing well with the Smokies, he’d be likely for a year in Iowa before he steps into Wrigley for more than a cup of coffee.

Gomes’ numbers of .255 with four homers and nine RBI, which puts him in the upper tier of the roster as far as power and production. His slash line of .255/.264/.490 is decent for his position, though it wouldn’t be for most others.

His framing skills are legendary, and we see them frequently as Cubs fans. While many have objections to framing as a necessary skill set, still it is, and Gomes is one of the best Umpire-Influencers out there.

I’d bet that he’d like to return:

And you know that they play football at Wrigley Field, in November. He’d presumably be up for that, too.

How about YOU decide?

Thanks for reading.