Following the conclusion of the World Series, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was noncommittal toward the catcher position, indicating that Gary Sanchez might not be the future.
It is no secret that the Yankees were fielding offers for Sanchez during the august trade deadline but couldn’t find a suitor for him and proceeded on with Kyle Higashiosaka in the postseason. Sanchez has degraded on a yearly basis, and so has his value, which has made training him a bit more tumultuous.
It is certainly possible the Yankees find a trade partner for him this off-season, which would indicate the signing of a better player, notably JT Realmuto or James McCann.
But is it really worth moving on from Sanchez at this point in his career? At just 27 years old, Sanchez has fantastic offensive ‘capabilities’ and a solid arm from behind the plate. He struggles in some categories, including passed balls and framing pitches, but his strengths are able to outweigh his weaknesses. The primary issue — he is extremely inconsistent with the things he is good at.
Some believe that Sanchez could be on the market this off-season, but his value is dwindling with every passing year. Cashman might be smart to unload him while he still can.
“He definitely still has trade value,” another opposing team executive said, via Erik Boland of Newsday “It’s not close to what it might have been, say, three years ago, but no one has catching [depth]. And there’s still the bat potential and the arm. Teams will inquire for sure.”
“I think [Cashman] will have trouble trading him, but that will depend on the [asking price], too,” the executive said. “The bottom line is, and everyone’s been talking about it for years, there’s such a [lack] of catching in the game . . . He’s still dangerous because of the bat and throwing arm.”
This past season, Sanchez finished with a .147 batting average, a 36% strikeout rate, and a -0.1 WAR. Offensively, he was a complete liability, which ended up with his benching for the postseason. Sanchez, however, will do whatever it takes to help his team succeed, even if that means sitting on the bench while Higgy steals reps.
The New York Yankees need to look at Sanchez realistically:
In an ideal world, Sanchez would have a bit more confidence in himself and find a way to cement the starting catcher position. Considering he lost out to a developing prospect heading into the postseason when the Yankees needed him most, should give you a solid indication of what we can expect from him moving forward.
The Yankees have two paths they can take, trade him, or keep him and hope for the best. Our crystal ball believes he will remain with the Yankees, as the team needs to bolster the starting pitching rotation and retain DJ LeMahieu. They will likely rotate Sanchez and Higashioka, playing the hot hand as the 2021 season progresses.