Former major league outfielder Carlos Gómez officially announced his retirement this afternoon in a ceremony at Milwaukee’s American Family Field (video via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). The announcement finalizes the end of a 13-year major league career.
Of course, there hasn’t been much doubt that Gómez’s playing days had already concluded. The 35-year-old last played in the majors in 2019, and he hasn’t played professionally since wrapping up a stint with the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League between 2019-20. Reports out of the Dominican Republic in January 2020 indicated Gómez’s playing days were likely coming to an end, but he hadn’t publicly finalized that decision until today.
Gómez ceremoniously hung up his spikes as a Brewer, with whom he had the best run of his career. Acquired from the Twins over the 2009-10 offseason, the electric center fielder spent the next four and a half seasons with the Brew Crew. At his peak, Gómez was one of the sport’s top power-speed threats. Between 2013 and 2014, the right-handed hitter posted a .284/.347/.491 line with 47 home runs. He chipped in 74 stolen bases over those two seasons while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.
Gómez earned down-ballot MVP support in both of those campaigns, and few players could match his well-rounded skillset. Over that two-year stretch, Gómez ranked seventh among all position players in FanGraphs’ version of wins above replacement, trailing only Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, teammate Jonathan Lucroy, Buster Posey, Miguel Cabrera and Josh Donaldson.
Milwaukee traded Gómez to the Astros at the 2015 deadline for then-prospects Brett Phillips, Domingo Santana, Josh Hader and Adrian Houser. It proved an opportune time for the Brewers to add an influx of young talent still helping the team immensely today, as Gómez’s productivity was never quite the same from that point forward. As he entered his 30’s, Gómez bounced around the league with a few clubs. He ended his playing days with the Mets, ironically the team that initially signed him as a 16-year-old back in 2002.
Gómez appeared in the majors with six different clubs over the course of his career, although he’ll be best known for his peak in Milwaukee. He appeared in 1461 MLB games and hit .252/.313/.411 with 145 home runs, 236 doubles and 41 triples. Gómez stole 268 bases, scored 675 runs and drove in 546. He appeared in two All-Star Games and won a Gold Glove during his aforementioned star-level peak. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each valued his career at around 25 WAR. MLBTR congratulates Gómez on a very fine career and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
Miller park? Lol.
Ha, I want to write Miller Park and Safeco Field every time. For some reason, those two stuck with me even as they’ve outlived their naming rights deals. Thanks for the heads up, it’s been fixed.
Damn. The Brewers got all that in a trade just for Carlos Gomez after he was already done having his best years? At that point even getting only Josh Hader in return seems like it would be a steal. I guess back then Hader was probably looked at as nothing more then a slightly more promising relief pitching prospect and no one knew he was going to turn into arguably the best reliever in baseball year in and year out.
I hope Wilmer Flores shed a tear in his honor
Carlos seems to be the last person on earth to know that he was retired.
Ah yes, but your career is so great you had to show up and announce how much better you are
Are you Carlos?
Car-Go bye bye. Solid career; he should be proud.
Been hiding from Brian McCann
Still hasn’t crossed home plate.
Farwell sucka!
Signed, Atlanta Braves.
That was way overplayed. McCann forever playing the enforcer and Chris Johnson the “yeah, what he said” yapper in the background. Game is funner without them. Let’s move on.
They really made the game less fun for you? As far as it being overplayed-can you remember a time a player wasn’t allowed to cross home? Yeh me either-anything unique in a game this old is not overplayed.
Almost the same thing happened with the same people (McCann and his sidekick: Chris Johnson instigating) in MIA with Jose Fernandez taking a peek at his first HR. Different results because Fernandez wasn’t Gomez. Play was over and you have Chris Johnson literally hopping mad over it. Hilarious. Yeah, overplayed.
Congratulations Carlos on an amazing career!! wishing you nothing but the best.
I’d add that Gomez was one of the four players traded by the Mets to the Twins for Johan Santana. A year later he was flipped to the Brewers.
And he was supposed to be part of the Mets outfield of the future with LMilz and FMart. Remember them?
Interesting 2008 team. 6 guys on the roster 40 years old or older.
Brian McCann is again waiting at home to congratulate Carlos – no doubt.
Gerrit Cole too… Cole and Gomez caused quite a dustup one game back when Cole was a Pirate. Gomez basically ended up trying to take on most of the Pirates bench if I remember right.
I recall that incident. At third base, right? Gomez was a hot-head, but he was a good ball player, too.
Garrett Cole, fake tough guy. All he did was yell at Gomez and walk away while the rest of his teammates jumped in. He stayed 50 feet away from Gomez the entire time.
… that’s damn near every baseball “fight.” The bullpens running-in to join the fray always looks cartoonish. Even a guy like Joe Kelly, who got much praise for what he did, really, it was nothing.
Well that’s good.
I’ve been keeping track of this story.
Pretty good player, pretty big mouth, but he could at least sometimes back it up.
I’ll always remember the epic brawl started by him and Travis Snider years ago. It was a good one.
I was just commenting about that one above, that one was a doozy. Gerrit Cole actually “started” it by yelling a Gomez for standing at home plate admiring what he thought was a homer but turned out to be a triple. Cole yelled at Gomez while walking back to the mound, Gomez went ballistic, the benches emptied, and Snider led the charge; Cole was about the only player on either team who didn’t get involved in the mob, I’m grateful to you because I couldn’t remember who the player was who ended up fighting Gomez, and you’re right it was Snider.
Yeah Snider looked like he wanted to injure someone.
Gomez to the Astros, a catastrophic blunder of a deal for Houston. At least Milwaukee did throw in another player who even pitched a no-hitter that season. Can’t recall if he had any other franchise-altering impact, though.
Yep, he caused some Fiers there!
Always will remember that girl that was crying when she met him and then she got to throw out the first pitch. Pretty cool
She’s an assistant real estate broker now. Jordan Hynum.
Interesting they didnt mention his original trade for another pitcher that got a no hitter in Santana.
Between giving up Josh Hader, Gomez absolutely flopping in Houston, and also acquiring Mike Fiers who ratted out the team and tainted their WS win in the eyes of everyone, I think that Houston-Milwaukee deal has been possibly the worst trade of the 21st century. At least from the Astros perspective.
Wow you aren’t kidding. Did Fiers ever face the Astros after him eating them out?
The Brewers got Adrian Houser, Josh Hader, Domingo Santana (played fairly well for the Crew for a few years. Similar to Gomez’ numbers) and Brett Phillips (with the Rays now), from the Astros, for Gomez and Fiers. Great trade for the Crew.
Gomez was definitely intense and was his own biggest fan next to that young lady who he treated very respectful and appreciated her support in a lot of great ways. The best thing for his retirement is it broke the curse of Ryan Brauns retirement announcement.
Baseball needs heels. Gomez is right up there with Pierzynski as really good baseball villains.
Could live without Nyjer Morgan though.
Next, please inform The Universe that Chris Gomez officially hung em up.
As an Astros fan, I hated that deal then and it still burns. It didn’t help that I couldn’t stand Gomez with the Brewers. The only thing he was good at for Houston was misplaying balls in the OF and pimping fly outs.
The Collin McHugh “WTF is he doing?” line describes his time in Houston.
He was also great at swinging and missing so hard that his helmet repeatedly flew off.
Gomez played with passion everywhere he went. They passion often came out as douchebaggy anger. But off the field he was one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He gave the Brewers everything he had, and when he was done in Milwaukee he brought back a VERY good haul. Adrian Hauser and Josh Hader who are still performing at a high level today for the team and Brett Phillips who was later flipped for Moustakas.
Good, solid career!
Solid career and good ball player
Fiery player also—he would get the crazy eyes when he was ready to go off on someone or a whole team
Gomez had a nice career. Mets drafted him when he was just 16 years old. Unfortunately, I was at the Brewers/Mets game when he was hit square in the head by a Syndergaard fastball. One of those crowd was hushed moments. Scary hit. Thank God for helmets.
Original piranha was faster than anyone other than The Freeze.
Well done, Carlos. Keep running.
Carlos Gomez interviews are the best! He was the centerpiece of the Johan Santana deal.
As a Twin, he was good. Very raw, but far above everyone else athletically. Even other CF’s. He was so exciting to watch! Bunts down the line were no-doubt singles. And I remember he hit for the cycle that year in Chicago, I believe.
.They gave up on him really quickly (kinda like Big Papi), and watched him blossom over in Wisconsin. Who did the Twins get for giving up on Carlos Gomez? J.J. Hardy. Who they then gave up on rather quickly and got nothing in return from Baltimore.
The end of an error