Phillies Jeanmar Gomez: 2017 Deep Sleeper Closer Option

The Phillies are taking the offseason to get younger and develop their prospects. One player with a lot of value to get for cheap is closer Jeanmar Gomez.

The Philadelphia Phillies will enter the 2017 season and a new era. Veteran Ryan Howard played his last game with the team and the front office acquired second baseman/outfielder Howie Kendrick. There is one player who had a quietly good season is closer Jeanmar Gomez. He is a cheap closer with upside this season.

There may be some dispute as to who actually is the Phillies closer. Roster Resource has Hector Neris as the closer with Gomez in the set-up role. The Phillies and CBS websites list Gomez as the team’s closer. Majority wins, so I’m going with Gomez as the incumbent closer.

Gomez started the season as the team’s closer after Ken Giles, who took over after Jonathan Papelbon was traded to the Washington Nationals, was sent to the Houston Astros. Yes, the Phillies had three closers in two seasons.

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In 2015, Gomez had a 3.01 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 50:17 K:BB ratio. With Giles gone, Gomez was the de facto to replace him for the ninth-inning job.

There were some good and bad with Gomez last season. He recorded 37 saves, tied for eighth in the league. He didn’t allow many home runs, just six for the season, tied for 94th among all relievers.

Gomez also posted a 4.85 ERA and 1.456 WHIP. Gomez struck out just 47 while walking 22 in 68.2 innings.

Those ratio stats not just not good enough to be a top-15 closer. However, racking up 37 saves definitely saved his value. I like him as a top-20 closer as of now. His value would go completely out the window if Roster Resource is right and Neris is the closer.

Neris had a 2.58 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 102:30 K:BB ratio in 80.1 innings. Most teams would like to have the strikeout pitcher as their closer. Of the top-15 saves leaders, 10 of them had at least 70 strikeouts.

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This is all relative to who wins the job in Spring Training. As of now, it’s Gomez’s job to lose. If he keeps it, I like him as a late-round pick. As I’ve said, saves can be found late and he is one of those closers.