The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently in search of a catcher for the 2019 season as Yasmani Grandal rejected their qualifying offer and becoming a free agent. The expectation is he will not be re-signed.
With top catching prospects Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith being perhaps just one year away from being Major League ready, the Dodgers may not be inclined to hand out a multi-year contract to a top catcher on the free agent market like Grandal, instead just looking for a one-year solution.
They have been linked to Miami Marlins All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto, who is under contract for two more years, but the Marlins are asking for a significant return for the 27-year-old.
Another option on the trade market could be Yan Gomes of the Cleveland Indians, and he’s someone the Dodgers remain connected to, via Jon Morosi of MLB.com:
#Mets and #Dodgers have trade interest in #Indians catcher Yan Gomes, sources confirm. (@Ken_Rosenthal first mentioned Gomes to L.A. as a possibility.) It's unclear how the expected Cano/Diaz deal impacts #Mets ability to obtain Gomes. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 30, 2018
Gomes is coming off a solid season in which he was named an All-Star for the first in his seven-year Major League career. In 112 games, Gomes hit .266/.313/.449 with 16 home runs and 48 RBI.
The Dodgers have also been connected with the Indians for another blockbuster trade potentially involving two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and Yasiel Puig, so Gomes could just be added to that deal if the two sides are close.
Gomes signed a six-year, $23.5 million contract with the Indians before the 2014 season, so 2019 is the last year of that deal. If the Dodgers were to acquire him, it would be at a very affordable rate.
His deal includes team options for both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, which could be insurance is Ruiz and Smith are not quite ready in a year.
