RUMOR: Jonny Gomes could be available

[missionhockey21]

Per MLBTradeRumors.com:

Here's a new name for you, courtesy of ESPN's Jayson Stark: Tampa Bay's Jonny Gomes. I've always been a huge Gomes fan; he mashed .282/.372/.534 as a rookie in 2005. Then he had a ridiculous 11 HR April before succumbing to a shoulder injury. Gomes had offseason surgery and started off slow for the D-Rays, earning a demotion to Triple A.

Gomes hit five homers in June and another five this month, despite getting just 132 ABs over that span. The Devil Rays are finally starting to play him regularly, but that's partially because of Carl Crawford's injury. I would not be shocked to see Gomes offer similar production to Jermaine Dye for the balance of the season, and you can keep him for several years cheaply. He's going to be the steal of the day if traded.

Stark says that the Rays are getting more calls on Elijah Dukes than Gomes, however.

You got to love when you get so many praised batting prospects that either fall off due to production or personal problems (which is aplenty with Tampa Bay) that you can let them go like the Devil Rays do. I can't see them letting both Gomes and Dukes go (in separate deals), but for the right arms, I guess anything is possible.

Gomes definitely would be a nice pickup for a team wanting to take his below average defense and plate discipline in the hopes of him becoming the masher he has shown in the past.

[Witlon]

Gomes could really use a change of scenery too, where there's no Joe Madden to play Greg Norton's .261 SLG over him.

Dukes doesn't even have a number in TB anymore(they gave his number to Wheeler), buit trading a young play at his lowest point, just doesn't make sense.