Miami Marlins Need Carlos Gomez, And Not Just This Year

With losses mounting and Alex Rodriguez announcing his intention to take the rest of the year off, incentive and options alike seem slim when it comes to upgrading the roster for this 2016 playoff chase. The most prominent name coming out of the rumor mill these days is one Carlos Gomez, former All-Star and current Mendoza Line caliber outfielder. High hopes that a change of scenery and a return to the National League can help him return to competitive form fuel the urge to try to pull him away on the cheap from Houston; he’s batted just .226 since joining the Junior Circuit.

But to my way of thinking, his 2016 value is only half the story. Gomez could be a key piece of a championship contending squad, but it’s much more likely to be the 2017 Marlins than the 2016 version.

More from Marlin Maniac

Talking 2016 is easy. Colleague Kyle Rowley wrote on it earlier this week, and the reasons are fairly self-evident. Giancarlo Stanton is out, with Justin Bour gone before him. Adding on would be a huge boost of confidence to a slumping club.

But on the other hand, that message of confidence was sent already in the form of Fernando Rodney and Andrew Cashner. Since the calendar turned to August, it hasn’t just been the Cubs of the baseball world that have creamed the Marlins. They’ve struggled against everyone, barely scraping buy in that one series win against Colorado. With an already all but bare cupboard of eligible prospects to deal, there’s an easy argument for just letting it ride at this point.

However, Gomez is in a unique spot. Sure, he could be an impact presence this season. The greater value though might lie in how cheaply he could be acquired for an extremely extended 2017 tryout. Fixing him in six to eight weeks might be a big ask, but six to eight months? Much more doable. A free agent after this season, the value of the thirty-year old outfielder has plummeted, even with Scott Boras behind the wheel. He’d be a reasonable upside add for the third outfielder spot, especially with Ichiro returning for another year of relief duty.

Which brings us to the deepest position on the Marlins roster, and why Gomez might be valuable as a 2017 starter. The current starting outfield of Marcell Ozuna, Stanton, and Christian Yelich is one of the best in baseball, if not the best. Ichiro is ageless, and still elite in limited duty; Derek Dietrich is capable of playing the outfield as well, and has really blossomed at the plate this year.

But the second most reliable starting pitcher on the team remains Tom Koehler, and that’s not going to get it done if October baseball is the goal.