Reports indicate that the New York Yankees are accepting offers for the services of Gary Sanchez, and at the same time, are checking out the field for a replacement. How this all turns out and when is anyone’s guess. How much value there is in Sanchez is questionable; although he might be an upgrade for some clubs, he has failed to compete as a Yankee for a few years now, this being his worst year so far, hitting just .147 and underperforming as a catcher. Late in the season and in the postseason, he was sat down frequently in favor of backup catcher Kyle Higashioka.
The two pitchers frequently mentioned to replace Sanchez is J. T. Realmuto and Yadier Molina. Neither of which would come cheap. With the losses of the New York Yankees, the most in baseball, Realmuto is most likely out of the picture pricewise. There would still be a steep price to pay for Molina, but no near as much as a Realmuto deal.
Like Yadier, Molina brothers have been some of the best catchers in baseball for the last two decades. Yadier has spent his entire 17-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards failed to offer Molina a multi-year deal and was not offered a qualifying offer.
It is the first time in his career that he has been a free-agent and will be looking for a two or three year deal that will take him until he is 40 or 41 years old. While he’s not nearly the offensive player he once was, Molina did still post 1 defensive run saved in 2020. One of the greatest defensive catchers in MLB history, Molina, can still provide value behind as backstop, even if that’s also diminished from what he did at the height of his powers. The Yankees get with Yadier is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, a guy who can hit and get on base, even though he hits few home runs then he did in his prime.
“I previously said that if it wasn’t with St. Louis, that I would go home. If we were unable to come to an extension agreement, that I would retire. But the situation with this pandemic has changed everything. Right now, I’m thinking of playing two more years,” Molina said to ESPN’s Marly Rivera.
“Obviously, St. Louis is my first option. But if they don’t sign me, then I’m willing to go into free agency. This situation has changed my mentality, and all I want to do is play.”
The New York Yankees are not unfamiliar with Molina; his older brother Jose caught for the Yankees in 2007. After Jorge Posada suffered a shoulder injury the Yankees traded for Molina on a two-year deal. He caught for the Yankees as the starting catcher until Ivan Rodriguez replaced him. He then served as a backup catcher.
Molina last year hit .267 with four home runs. Sanchez hit 10 home runs but was seldom on base with a .147 batting average. Molina would be an upgrade for the Yankees, defensively and offensively; how much of an upgrade is a question. Molina is night and day from Sanchez. He is vibrant and energetic even at his age, something that is often missing from Sanchez, who continually strikes out and doesn’t give it his all.
Whether the New York Yankees go after Molina, a lot depends on what they have to do to keep DJ LeMahieu in the fold. The two scenarios that enable it are that the team re-signs the second baseman for a relatively inexpensive raise — or they lose the bidding war and LeMahieu signs with a different team, opening up the payroll for other minor improvements. In the last scenario, the Yankees could sign Molina and still have money left over to seek a premium pitcher.
The Yankees have other options
Should the New York Yankees not sign Yadier Molina or choose not to spend for a J.T. Realmuto there is another very acceptable option out there. That being James McCann. McCann is a seven-year veteran catcher that has been with the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox. McCann last year hit .289 with seven home runs. He is at 30, also a younger candidate than Molina, although not as good defensively. Still, Molina is a future Hall of Famer that still hits .296 when balls are in play.
Although both of these catchers will be expensive for the Yankees, they are likely to command about the same amount of money. McCann made $10 million last year and Molina $20 million. Molina realizes he won’t get that this year and both will probably settle in somewhere in the $12-14 million range. That may seem expensive to replace Sanchez, who will probably make $6-7 million this coming season. Realmuto, on the other hand will require an investment of possibly $20 million.
It’s a long offseason, and it will be filled with twists and turns as the Yankees try to improve their to get to another World Championship.