CNATI: Cincinnati OH Sports Journalism

"I was really surprised," Gomes said on Saturday. "When I was non-tenured by the Rays in 2008, I wasn't surprised. This time I was."

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said the Reds didn't want to go to arbitration with Gomes, who would have been eligible for arbitration had the team tendered him a contract.

"Once you get locked into that process, it get more costly," Jocketty said. "Part of (the decision) is the salary, everything is a function of the payroll and what you do with it."

Jocketty said the team tried to find a trading partner for Gomes, but was unsuccessful.

Gomes hit .267/.338/.541 and 20 home runs in part-time play with the Reds. He was one of the Reds most effective hitters against left-handers, hitting .307 with a .369 OBP against lefties.

As for his future, Gomes said he's not sure what's next.

"That means I'm unemployed, that's the only thing that's guaranteed," Gomes said. "This market is very unpredictable. ... The good news is there's (Matt) Holliday and (Jason) Bay and after that there's not a lot of right-handed power on the market."

The Reds have said they'd like a right-handed power bat, but don't have the budget for a player like Holiday or Bay. While Gomes isn't an every-day outfielder and the Reds have plenty of young talent in the infield, it's not as proven as Gomes, who is a solid bench player.

The Reds could still sign Gomes as a free agent, but that doesn't seem likely. Jocketty said it was still possible the Reds would look at offering him another contract in free agency.

"I definitely loved my time there from the fans at the ballpark to the mangement and the players," Gomes said.

The Reds tendered contracts to RHP Jared Burton and Nick Masset, both are arbitration eligible.