Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes has been designated for assignment, the team announced Wednesday.
Gomes, a 13-year veteran who was playing on a $6 million option in his third season with the Cubs, is hitting a career-low .154 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.
“It was a tough decision,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday. “Yan was a great teammate and important person in the clubhouse, but in the end we just felt like we had to make an attempt at getting more production out of the catching spot.”
He will be replaced on the roster by Tomas Nido, who was signed by the Cubs after his released from the New York Mets on June 5 amid his own offensive struggles. Nido was hitting .125 (7 for 56) this season and didn’t have an extra-base hit at the time of his release.
“It’s always been one of my favorite road stadiums. I’m really excited to be on the home side,” Nido said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get the team on the right track. I’ve been on teams that have won a lot of ballgames. I’m excited to bring what I know and what I can do here to help win.”
Miguel Amaya, who is batting .188 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs, has been getting the bulk of the starts at catcher for the Cubs, and he was starting behind the plate in Wednesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
Gomes, who has 137 career home runs, has also played for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Guardians and Toronto Blue Jays since breaking into the majors in 2012. He won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers contributed to this report.
