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Gomes hit .252/.301/.421 with 14 homers and 52 RBIs last season with the Nationals and A’s.
It took a while for the Cubs to finally make a move amid a wild week in free agency, but they’ve finally made their first major-league signing of the winter. The Cubs are signing catcher Yan Gomes to a two-year, $13 million, sources tell the Sun-Times. The deal is pending a physical.
Gomes has long been considered one of the best pitch framers in baseball and should provide a calming presence for the team’s pitching staff. The 10-year backstop slashed .252/.301/.421 with 14 homers and 52 RBIs. He will also provide some power with at least 12 homers over his last four full seasons.
The signing of Gomes will likely lead to questions about the future of catcher Willson Contreras, who has yet to sign a contract extension. While Gomes serves as valuable insurance if the Cubs were to trade Contreras this offseason, at face value, he brings an above-average backup to the North Side.
Backup catcher was not an easy area for the Cubs to resolve last season. They went through eight backup catchers in 2021, including Austin Romine, Tony Wolters, P.J. Higgins, Jose Lobaton, Taylor Gushue, Robinson Chirinos, Tyler Payne and Erick Castillo.