Brian Sabean: Giants Have Discussed Adding Carlos Gomez

The Giants have had internal discussions about pursuing newly-minted free agent outfielder Carlos Gomez, president of baseball operations Brian Sabean tells Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News. Sabean ultimately says he’s not sure whether San Francisco will put in an offer, but made clear that Gomez is “in play” as a target. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweeted earlier that the Giants were a possible landing spot, though Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News notes on Twitter that the club is still “unconvinced” that Gomez would make for a useful acquisition.

Adding an outfielder doesn’t seem like a necessity for the Giants, who have numerous options on their depth chart. On the other hand, some cracks are showing as the club fades in the standings. Though Angel Pagan has found the fountain of youth, Hunter Pence has struggled since returning from the DL, Denard Span hasn’t hit as much as hoped, and Gregor Blanco is well off of his recent productivity. Kelby Tomlinson provides another option, and youngsters Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson have both shown promise, but the overall unit has lacked punch of late and Williamson is shelved with a shoulder issue.

That’s a fairly crowded mix, and Gomez wouldn’t offer a clear upgrade given the recent struggles that led to his release by the Astros. It’s certainly possible to imagine him sharing time in center with Span, though, as Gomez remains a useful up-the-middle defender despite his offensive fall-off. Plus, he won’t cost anything beyond the league minimum and the impending roster expansion would largely alleviate any pressures in that regard (apart from clearing a 40-man spot).

Whether or not Gomez is a viable option seemingly depends upon his own motivations as much as those of the Giants. Sabean noted that the team needs to know whether the veteran would be willing to possibly accept a part-time role. Presumably, San Francisco isn’t interested in promising regular playing time to a player who carries a sub-.600 OPS in his age-30 season. Still though, Gomez’s lofty established ceiling remains a tantalizing prospect for teams that may think they can help him find his groove.