New York Yankees: Gary Sanchez will make his winter league debut on Friday

New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

With the non-tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. ET, there have been rumblings that the New York Yankees could decide not to offer catcher Gary Sanchez a new deal for 2021, making him a free agent. It is extremely unlikely, but it remains a possibility in this crazy 2020.

While the Yankees have a big decision to make in the next few hours, Sanchez is about to embark on a new adventure in his native Dominican Republic. According to local site Precision, the two-time All Star is set to debut in winter league (LIDOM) tomorrow. He will be in uniform in his country for the first time since the 2013 season.

The New York Yankees’ backstop will play with Toros del Este at Quisqueya Stadium against Tigres del Licey.
In that 2013 season with Toros, Sanchez played in 12 games. The Yankees are expecting him to regain some of the luster he had in his career prior to the 2020 season in the Bronx.

The Yankees’ catcher had a season to forget

In a nightmarish season, the Yankees sent Sanchez to the bench come playoff time because of his struggles at the plate. In 49 games and 178 plate appearances, he hit 10 home runs, but they came with a .147/.253/.365 line, a .271 wOBA, and a 69 wRC+, by far the worst numbers of his career.

Sanchez hit the ball harder than ever (average exit velocity of 91.8 mph) but the problem was making consistent contact, as he struck out a career-high 36 percent of the time.

He has 115 home runs in his six-year tenure with the Yankees, including 34 in 2019.

Raymond Abreu, Toros’ general manager, said that “for Toros, it is a privilege to have Sanchez back. We are sure that he will have a huge impact on and off the field.”

Having a good season in the Dominican Republic could set Sanchez up for a successful spring and a positive start of the 2021 season with the Yankees, provided that he stays with the team (the organization recently said that they would “at least listen” to offers for him.)