The Cincinnati Reds added another bat to their left-field mix on Monday, Jan. 19, as they agreed to terms with former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny Gomes on a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.
The deal was confirmed by the team, but terms weren't disclosed. However, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported a base salary of $600,000 with a potential $200,000 in added incentives. "I had other deals for more money but this is the best fit,'' Gomes told The Times. "I'm really stoked.''
Gomes, 28, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound right-handed hitter, burst onto the scene in 2005. He finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting after hitting 21 homers with a .282 batting average in 348 at-bats for Tampa Bay.
But Gomes has struggled in subsequent seasons, bottoming out in 2008 with a .182 batting average and eight homers in 154 atbats. The Rays then left him off the World Series roster and decided to not tender him a contract after the season.
For his career, Gomes is a .235 hitter with 66 homers and 184 RBIs. He ranks fifth on Tampa Bay's career home run list, first among right-handed hitters.
