Cubs sign Yan Gomes to two-year, $13 million deal, per report

The Cubs are in agreement with veteran catcher Yan Gomes on a two-year, $13 million deal, per a report from the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish:

With Willson Contreras being a trade candidate this offseason, Gomes gives the Cubs a fallback behind the plate. And if Contreras stays, Gomes could serve as an overqualified backup and free up Contreras to DH (assuming the universal DH is instituted in 2022) or perhaps play the outfield on occasion like he did earlier in his career. If they head into the 2022 season with a proven catching duo of Contreras and Gomes, the Cubs certainly will have no reason to complain. After all, they used nine catchers in 2021: Contreras, Austin Romine, Tony Wolters, Robinson Chirinos, José Lobatón, P.J. Higgins, Taylor Gushue, Erick Castillo, and Tyler Payne.

Gomes, a 10-year major league veteran who won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, began the 2021 season in Washington but was dealt to the Athletics at the trade deadline. In 103 games between the two teams, he hit .252/.301/.421 with 14 homers. He’s also an above-average defender and had five defensive runs saved in 2021.

Gomes was arguably the top catcher on the free agent market in an extremely weak catching class. Manny Piña has already signed with the Braves and Pedro Severino with the Brewers, and Gomes’ former platoon partner Roberto Pérez is expected to sign before a lockout likely takes effect on Wednesday.