By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Prior to Wednesday, no team in the league had been publicly connected to Philadelphia Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez. Today, three teams have been connected, as part of three separate reports.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported this morning that the San Francisco Giants were scouting both Gomez and David Hernandez. His colleague at ESPN, Jim Bowden, passed along during a telecast today that the Texas Rangers and the Phillies 'have talked' about both Gomez and Jeremy Hellickson. The ESPN baseball trifecta was completed this evening when Buster Olney noted that the cross-state Pittsburgh Pirates are also interested in the reliever:
Among the teams watching Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez: Pirates, who had Gomez for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Looking for bullpen upgrade.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 20, 2016
Gomez, 28, has converted 25 of 28 save opportunities in 2016. Prior to 2016, he served as a middle reliever with the Phillies in 2015, and as Olney mentioned, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians prior to that. Gomez certainly wouldn't replace Mark Melancon as the team's closer, though he could set-up for the team as they attempt to remain competitive in both the National League Central and Wild Card races.
Gomez also could make sense for the Pirates because Melancon is a free-agent after the season and likely to price his way out of Pittsburgh. Gomez still has one year of team control, meaning if the Pirates don't find another option, Gomez could close for them in 2017.
