Brewers, Gomez, Avoid Arbitration With One-Year Deal

Coming into the 2013 season, Milwaukee Brewers Outfielder Carlos Gomez was one of the players with the most potential.

In Major League Baseball, as we know, potential usually equals dollars. The Milwaukee Brewers proved that to be true when they avoided arbitration with Gomez to the tune of a one-year, $4.3 million deal the day before arbitration cases had to be filed.

Carlos Gomez feels a lot more safe after his one year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers (Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports)

Carlos Gomez is represented by Scot Boras – which puts the tremendous paycheck he was after in better perspective – and the pair was able to find the right niche for Gomez with the Milwaukee Brewers. And it wasn’t the first time, either.

The former Super-Two prospect batted .260 in 2012, but found his power stroke in the middle and later parts of the season. The now widely known “hitch” in his swing appeared to be fixed, and added to the 37 stolen bases on the season at seemed a shoo-in for the 2013 season. It’s still unclear how much of that awesome potential will pay off for the Milwaukee Brewers, and the organization certainly made a statement by giving the 26 year-old a one-year deal.

With the offense stacked for the season, assuming shortstop Jean Segura continues to improve and Rickie Weeks, along with first baseman Corey Hart stay healthy – it kind of puts Carlos Gomez in a tight spot. For many players, arbitration years are audition years. You put in a big season and come out with a big payday. For Gomez, the statement from the Milwaukee Brewers is “we’ll see.”

This is nothing new for Carlos Gomez. Throughout his career he has been pigeonholed, told what kind of player he should be, and put through the ringer at every stop. This year is his chance to show the Milwaukee Brewers that this is an investment the team needs to make. Carlos Gomez can be the star of the future for the Milwaukee Brewers, and at $4.3 million, they may very well want that from him. But at one year, Carlos Gomez will have to prove it.