Red Sox Sign Mediocre Jonny Gomes

When the very first thing people say about an athlete is something about their character, you know that said athlete probably isn't a particularly talented player. That's the case with Jonny Gomes. John Tomase of the Boston Herald wrote about Jonny Gomes's character giving the Red Sox a "face-lift." Boston.com's Extra Bases said Gomes "has some personality."

Meanwhile, Baseball-Reference.com says Jonny Gomes is a .244 hitter who averages 25 homeruns every 162 games he plays, but has only played more than 120 games once in his career.

The Red Sox signed Gomes to a two year deal worth $10 million. He's a platoon player and the Sox threw $5 million a season at him. Why not?

It's not a horrific move. And $10 million over 2 years hardly handcuffs this team's finances. I just enjoy certain members of the Boston Sports Media sucking up to the Red Sox and praising Jonny Gomes's character.

Character and clubhouse chemistry are products of winning on the field. And pitching determines success on the field. You could put Mother Theresa and Rudy Reuttiger in the 2011 Red Sox clubhouse and they'd still collapse.

But I'm sure signing Jonny Gomes to a $5 million salary has nothing to do with Ben Cherington's weird promise that the Sox will have a big payroll. I'm sure it was strictly a baseball move.