Blue Jays: Charlie Montoyo likes Carlos Gomez

New Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo is a fan of free-agent outfielder Carlos Gomez, who was recently the subject of a comment made by pitcher Marcus Stroman.

Last week, Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman, one of the league’s most exuberant and outspoken characters, took to Twitter to express his desire for the Blue Jays to sign veteran free-agent outfielder Carlos Gomez, who played for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018.

Now, it seems as though Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo is a fan of Gomez, telling MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm that he “likes Gomez”, adding that Gomez “sent [him] that tweet and said, ‘Hey, I’m here’.”

Of course, Montoyo was the bench coach last season for the Rays. In 2018, Gomez, 33, played in 118 games for Tampa Bay, slashing .208/.298/.336 with nine home runs, 12 stolen bases, and 15 doubles in 360 at-bats. Prior to that, in 2017, Gomez slashed .255/.340/.462 in 105 contests, adding 17 homers and 51 runs batted in.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

A former member of the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and New York Mets, Gomez, who hails from Santiago, Dominican Republic, hasn’t generated much interest as a free agent.

Though he is one of the more experienced outfielders available this offseason — his 1427 games played place him 44th among active players — his recent performance (.706 OPS since 2016) doesn’t exactly make him the most attractive option.

Still, if the Blue Jays are in need of a veteran outfielder to serve as their fourth choice, Gomez might be someone to consider, especially given how strongly Stroman appears to feel about him.

Gomez, a two-time All-Star, put up a WAR of 0.6 in 2016 and a WAR of 1.7 in 2017. Last season, he earned $4 million. A Gold Glove Award winner in 2013 with the Brewers, Gomez did not respond to Stroman’s tweet as of Monday evening.