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Phillies 2017 Season Preview: Closer Jeanmar Gomez

By Anthony Stitt

Aug 13, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jeanmar Gomez (46) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Rockies, 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jeanmar Gomez (46) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Rockies, 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jeanmar Gomez will remain the Phillies closer in 2017 despite a rocky end to the 2016 season and lacking the traditional arsenal of a closer.

Mr. Electricity is getting one more shot to close for the Phillies.

The guy is as thrilling as plain toast. He’s as exhilarating as watching your arm hair grow. He is Jeanmar Gomez, the closer-for-now for Philadelphia.

With Gomez, there is no fire-breathing fastball. No heavy metal entrance music. No Moses-esque facial hair. No cray-cray eyes staring down clean-up hitters. None of that. And, after an up-and-down (more like an up-and-way-way-waaaaaay-down) 2016, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said it’s Gomez  job in 2017.

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My response to that: Whaaaaaaaaaaaat.

But Mackanin told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer last month: “I believe he deserves to be called our closer at this point.”

Wow, Pete, what a ringing endorsement. Our closer at this point. Hmm, that’s like saying: This lady here is my wife at this point. Translation: We ain’t got nobody else! Which is kinda true.

Sure, this offseason, the Phils picked up the ever-aging Joaquin Benoit and career nomad Pat Neshek (6 teams now in 7 seasons) but this is Gomez’s sitcom to get cancelled. And if – when – it does, look for patient-like-Jobe Hector Neris to close if his nose-diving splitter is still nose-diving, and that pitch can vanish on Neris faster than five bucks out of a my nana’s hand in Vegas. (Hey, the cute little lady loves her slots.)

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Back to Gomez. The guy who failed himself into the team’s most important bullpen role. His 2016 could be summed up like this. First half — good (2.59 ERA with 24 saves). Second half… uh… what’s the word I’m looking for… got it…. ATROCIOUS. And that’s being kind.

What, too harsh? Did you see the guy pitch in the second-half? He had an 8.33 ERA and .356 batting average against after the break. Mackanin mercifully pulled Gomez out of the closer job in September and gave it to a committee.

Of course, excuses were made, that Gomez’s gas gauge hit “E” during last season’s dog days.

Already, Mackanin has offered up a justifying-my-decision quote on why Gomez is once again closing:

"“I remember back in 2009, my first year as a coach here, when [Brad Lidge] blew a lot of saves and Charlie [Manuel] stuck with him. It proved to be important that he did, even though a lot of people were clamoring for a change. Charlie showed him confidence and stayed with him. I think that was the right thing to do,” Mackanin said."

Uh, Pete, Charlie stuck with Lidge because he was lights-out on the mound when the Phillies won a little something called THE WORLD SERIES! After going a perfect 48 of 48 in save opportunities! After parades of one-million! After becoming World (insert Chase Utley’s adjective here) Champions!

Next: Four Players The Phillies Should Target In 2018

And, FYI, Pete, 2017 will end just as 2016 — with Jeanmar Gomez not closing for your team.

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