After trading future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. and longtime left fielder Adam Dunn in 2008, the Cincinnati Reds were in the market to acquire an outfielder to begin the 2009 season. Among a multitude of acquisitions, the Reds signed former Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder Jonny Gomes to a minor-league deal. Gomes inevitably emerged as a key figure in Reds 2010 NL Central division-winning season.
After starting the 2009 season at Triple-A Louisville, Gomes smashed his way into Cincinnati, hitting nine home runs, 10 doubles, and batting .282 over 37 games. Following his promotion, Gomes started 75 games with the Reds, primarily split between left and right field. He finished the 2009 season with 20 homers, 51 RBI, and a .267 batting average.
After proving himself in 2009, the Reds resigned Gomes to a one year, $800,000 deal for 2010. This signing solidified the Reds outfield and sealed Gomes fate as the team’s everyday left fielder after the emergence of Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce.
Jonny Gomes provides a lift for the Reds’ 2010 NL Central championship run
Gomes started off slowly in April, hitting just .217 with two home runs over 20 games but caught fire in May, slashing .364/.420/.636 with five homeruns and 22 RBIs including an 11-game hit streak in which he batted .432. His successful first half gave fans hope for an exciting second half to come. The Reds finished the first half 42-30 and 2.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros for first place in the NL Central.
