Sanchez is still Bombers’ starting catcher, says Cash
Even after a brutal 2020 season, in which he was benched for the majority of the playoffs, Gary Sanchez will go into spring training the “heir apparent” as the Yankees’ starting catcher, Brian Cashman said Wednesday.
“I think Aaron Boone had to make a decision based on how Gary was playing and what he was representing at the time, which wasn’t what we believe to be the true version of Gary Sanchez,” the Yankees GM said. “And if that is the true version, I don’t think we would have tendered him a contract. We believe that the sample size of the 2020 season would be hard pressed to judge really anybody both in a favorable spot or a negative spot. The sample size was so small, so we’re going to certainly bet on him returning to form, the All-Star caliber player he was prior to the 2020 season.”
Sanchez was a disaster during the coronavirus-pandemic shortened MLB season. He slashed .147/.253/.365 with 64 strikeouts in 156 at-bats. Sanchez was in the bottom two percentile of strikeout percentage and bottom 11 percentile of whiff percentage this season, according to Baseball Savant. Even though he was among the players hitting the ball the hardest this season and did have 10 home runs, he struggled with the highest percentage of line drives of his career — not the best option for slow-footed catchers.
The Yankees manager not only benched Sanchez during the season, but gave him just nine at-bats in seven playoff games.
It began by having Kyle Higashioka catch ace Gerrit Cole. Then he benched Sanchez in September for two days to allow him time to work on his swing. Then when it came down the stretch, the two catchers were splitting time. In the end, however, Sanchez played in just three of seven playoff games.
Defensively, after the Yankees restructured their coaching staff and brought in Tanner Swanson with the edict to make Sanchez into a better receiver, there was little improvement.
There was speculation the Yankees would non-tender Sanchez,but they ended up offering him a contract.
He was scheduled to make $5 million this season before it was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic. In his second year of arbitration, even after a down season, Sanchez, 28, will likely get a raise heading into 2021.
“I know some people might take that as an excuse but I think we’re just making you know what we believe is a safe bet,” Cashman said of offering Sanchez a contract and the opportunity to take back his starting role. “But there is at the same time I guess risk to it because, Gary’s gonna have to prove that 2020 was an aberration.
“But the fact that he on his own is determined to play winter ball to work through things, to get back on track and it is a prelude to things that come,” Cashman said “This is not something he was mandated to do. It’s something that’s organically coming from within and so he’s working at it and trying to be the best version of himself and return to form.”
Sanchez is hitting .310 with two home runs as the designated hitter for Toros Del Este. He’s struck out 11 times in 29 at-bats.
WITHOUT DELAY
Cashman said, as of now, he is proceeding with the idea that spring training and the regular season will start on time, despite reports the owners would like to push back both to give time for players and paying customers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“We are currently all systems go,” Cashman said. “I’ve been told nothing about our season starting late or compromised. We have a schedule, we have a spring training schedule, we have a report date and we have a season. And until somebody above me tells me otherwise obviously we’re planning to hit those marks.”
Still, the coronavirus pandemic shut down the game for four months last season and everyone in baseball believes 2021 will be determined by the success of the roll out of the vaccines. Cashman said he expects the union and league to do the “heavy lifting” on the protocols for next season, including whether players will be required to be inoculated to play.
GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
Cashman said that he has talked to the agents for veteran Yankees Masahiro Tanaka and Brett Gardner and would like to bring them back, but ultimately re-signing DJ LeMahieu is the priority.
“Time will tell, obviously how things play out,” Cashman said. “Clearly they’ve been impactful Yankees that have done an amazing job for us. I can tell you just generally we’d love to have them back. Just like DJ LeMahieu, I do believe without question and rightfully so that they’re getting a number of different phone calls, trying to recruit them elsewhere as would be expected because they’re really tremendous, talented players.”