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The Houston Astros have acquired center fielder Carlos Gomez and starting pitcher Mike Fiers from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for AAA outfielder Domingo Santana, AA outfielder Brett Phillips, and AA pitchers Josh Hader and Adrian Houser.
Gomez was signed by the New York Mets in 2002, and he made his Major League debut in 2007. The 29-year-old center fielder is a 2-time All Star and a Gold Glove winner. Between 2012 and 2014 Gomez has averaged 22 home runs and 37 stolen bases per year. His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is 19.9 in his 6 years with the Brewers.
Gomez will play in center field for the Astros. The Astros now have a center fielder that can hit anywhere from leadoff through fifth and be productive. Gomez also brings speed and defense to the team. When he gets on base, he can create havoc for a pitcher and get himself into scoring position. Defensively, he can track down more balls and help the pitchers be even more dominant.
Gomez was involved in a trade with the Mets that was nixed after the news broke. Gomez was told shortly after he boarded the team plane after the Brewer game in San Francisco. The Mets backed out of the deal due to an issue with Gomez’s hip.
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Fiers was selected by the Brewers in the 22nd round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He made his debut with the team in 2011. He has been the most consistent pitcher for the Brewers this season with a 3.89 ERA and 121 strikeouts.
Fiers joins a rotation that includes Dallas Keuchel and recently added Scott Kazmir. The Astros are looking like a very strong team right now. They entered the day in first place, a game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels, in the American League West.
Gomez is currently under contract though the 2016 season. Fiers is arbitration eligible after next season.
All MLB trades are pending medical review.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
