Jonny Gomes will be taking his right-handed bat and constantly praised clubhouse presence to Japan, as Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the veteran outfielder has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
According to Rosenthal he’ll get $2 million upfront and can earn another $1 million in incentives, which suggests Gomes’ only offers from MLB teams may have been of the minor-league variety.
Gomes failed to crack a .700 OPS in 2014 or 2015, hitting .213 with seven homers and a .660 OPS in 95 games for the Braves and Royals last season. At age 35 he likely would’ve had to compete for a part-time bench gig, so instead he opted for a guaranteed payday in Japan.
