When Can Gary Sanchez Yankees Play Again
Earlier this offseason, general manager Brian Cashman said he was "exploring" options to upgrade at catcher.
And if he didn't find anything, the GM said, "We'll come back with what we have."
That's exactly what the Yankees are doing, as they tendered Gary Sanchez a contract prior to Tuesday's deadline.
And Luke Voit and Miguel Andujar remain Yankees, as well, at least for now.
The team announced Tuesday they had tendered contracts to all three arbitration-eligible players, each at one time considered a major part of the organization's future before their careers took downturns.
Sanchez's status was in doubt for a second straight offseason thanks to another subpar year both at the plate and defensively, but as Cashman noted recently, the alternatives were "thin" in the catching market.
After making $6.35 million in 2021, Sanchez is expected to get a raise to about $8 million. He'll turn 29 Thursday and is due to become a free agent following this coming season.
Given Sanchez's struggles, the Yankees inquired about Pittsburgh's Jacob Stallings before he was traded to Miami, according to sources.
Ultimately, they decided to stick with Sanchez, a two-time All-Star by the age of 26, but a player who has seen his production decline significantly in the past two seasons.
Sanchez impressed the Yankees by volunteering to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic after his disastrous 2020 campaign and then showed flashes of his old offensive prowess at times last season.
Those bright spots were largely overshadowed, though, by prolonged slumps that, no matter what the Yankees said publicly, were made worse by his inconsistency behind the plate.
Cashman praised Sanchez's defense and effort this offseason, but even he admitted the catcher "tailed off" defensively in the latter part of the season.
And once again, the Yankees went with Kyle Higashioka in a must-win wild-card game in Boston, with Gerrit Cole on the mound. In the 2020 postseason, Higashioka was also favored over Sanchez — and not just when Cole pitched.
Over the course of 2021, Sanchez's strikeout rate went down from the spike of the previous season, but so did his exit velocity.
Theories vary about what's happened to Sanchez, with some scouts questioning his effort, but those in the organization insist Sanchez worked hard.
Other evaluators pointed to a lack of development, both offensively and defensively.
As for the rest of the roster, Cashman has pointed to first base as an area of need, in addition to shortstop and potentially center field.
Following Monday's release of Chris Gittens — who intends to play in Japan next season — the Yankees only had one first baseman on the 40-man roster.
And Voit is sticking around, despite a rough follow-up to his 2020 year when he led the majors with 22 homers in the COVID-shortended season. He missed time in 2021 due to left knee surgery and left knee discomfort ended his season prematurely.
When on the field, Voit was less effective, as his OPS dropped from .948 to .764 and he was supplanted by Anthony Rizzo after a July trade from the Cubs.
Rizzo is a free agent after playing well in The Bronx, while the rebuilding A's are entertaining trade offers for Matt Olson.
Freddie Freeman remains unsigned following his World Series run in Atlanta, so the Yankees could make a big move there, but most still expect him to stay with the Braves.
Andujar is looking to bounce back from another injury-plagued season due to a strained wrist. He could still be moved in a trade.
But nearly a month into MLB's offseason — and with a lockout expected to begin Wednesday night, the Yankees have mostly stood pat.
Javier Baez became the latest big-name infielder to head elsewhere when he agreed to a six-year, $140 million deal with the Tigers.
With the Yankees still looking for a shortstop, only Carlos Correa and Trevor Story remain on the market when it comes to elite options, although the Tigers had been considered a potential landing spot for Correa and now they're set with Baez.
Source: https://nypost.com/2021/11/30/gary-sanchez-back-with-yankees-team-will-tender-him-contract/
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