Yan Gomes says he knew Cubs would pick up his team option - "They kept including me in the conversations"

Veteran catcher Yan Gomes was on the verge of entering unrestricted free agency yet again in his career. However, the Chicago Cubs opted to pick up his team option for the 2024 season. Now, Gomes will return to the Cubs in the final year of his two-year, $12 million deal.

Although free agency can be a stressful time for many players across the MLB, Yan Gomes had a feeling that he knew where he would be playing during the 2024 campaign.

"They kept including me in the conversations" @Yan_AGomes talks about how he knew his option was probably getting picked up with the @Cubs" - @FoulTerritoryTV

On a recent episode of Foul Territory TV, Gomes explained to everyone the process leading up to free agency and how team options work. The 36-year-old catcher from Sao Paulo, Brazil, said he believed that the Chicago Cubs were going to exercise his team option, even though they took a while to do so.

"They kept including me in the conversations," Gomes explained, which led to his belief that he would be returning to the Chicago Cubs for the 2024 season. He also joked about his situation being pushed to the backburner as the club needed to address more pressing issues.

---

Yan Gomes' option will be one of many roster moves the Cubs need to address this offseason

The Chicago Cubs have been busy in the weeks following the World Series. Not only did they agree to pick up the team option on Yan Gomes, but the team was able to pull off a major coup in regards to the MLB managerial landscape.

In one of the most shocking moves of the offseason so far, the Chicago Cubs not only fired David Ross but also hired the most sought-after manager on the market, Craig Counsell. The former Milwaukee Brewers manager was linked to several clubs. However, the Cubs were able to secure his signature by handing him the richest manager contract in MLB history.

"Several GMs have said the Cubs "may be the most aggressive team" pursuing Shohei Ohtani, per @BNightengale" - @TalkinBaseball_

Now, the team's attention has shifted to filling out several vacancies on their current roster. The club has been linked to several high-profile players this offseason, including free agent Shohei Ohtani and a potential trade with New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.