With Jason Heyward now a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves could use some help in the outfield. They aren’t going to break the bank, understandably, though they’d like to at least find themselves a potential power bat who can platoon.
Enter Jonny Gomes who has been a target of the Atlanta front office for much of the offseason. The two haven’t been able to find a middle ground on a deal as of yet, though according to Mark Bowman the Braves are still pursing Jonny Gomes and hope to ink him to a contract.
The #Braves are still pursuing Jonny Gomes. He’s a potential option to platoon with Almonte in LF.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) January 20, 2015
Gomes had a relatively woeful season last year which was split between the Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox, however he has shown to be a solid power threat against left-handed pitching in the past. Add in his presumed cheap price tag and it’s easy to see why the Atlanta Braves have interest in the 34-year-old.
If they were able to come to terms, it’s likely that Zoilo Almonte will still get the vast majority of starts though you won’t find many more powerful sluggers against left-handers than Gomes, who makes for a solid platoon partner.
