The New York Yankees entered arbitration with several question marks, notably at third base and catcher. Both Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez were up for massive salary increases or deals worth their while, and both saw nice bumps in pay to play during the 2020 season.
Urshela cashed in at $2.475 million, while in 2019, he earned $528K. Sanchez saw the highest increase, settling at $5 million after earning $670K last season. Both are essential players for the Yankees, who will actively start during the 2020 season.
Summary of #Yankees arbitration deals so far today:
Gary Sanchez – $5 million
Gio Urshela – $2.475 million
Luis Cessa – 895K
James Paxton – 12.5 million (unconfirmed)
Aaron Judge – TBD
Jonathan Holder – 750K
Tommy Kahnle – TBD
Chad Green – TBD
Jordan Montgomery – TBD— Young Yanks (@YoungYanks) January 10, 2020
The fresher Yankee of the two, Urshela, exploded onto the scene last season, compiling a .314 batting average with 21 homers and 74 RBIs. His offensive production was the biggest surprise, considering his highest BA before he joined the Bombers was a seldom .233.
Urshela’s defensive production was equally, if not more impressive, than his offense. With Miguel Andujar preparing to return from a torn Labrum, there will be competition for the 28-year-old, but he will undoubtedly have the first crack on the hot corner to open the season. Andujar, though, has been working diligently, showing up to workouts bigger and stronger, sporting a new smooth clutch movement (double-clutching was a problem for him in the past).
The New York Yankees need Gary Sanchez to remain healthy:
As for Sanchez, he will be looking to remain healthy, as inconsistencies in that category have hurt his efficiency in the past. Last season, it was a devastating groin ailment that limited him during the latter portion of the yeat and was catastrophic to his postseason production.
I expect to see better production out of Sanchez and the remainder of the team in 2020, especially after the hiring of Eric Cressey, one of the best strength and conditioning coaches on the market.