FALLING STARS
S COUTS will talk about watching the two players from the Dominican Republic on the same field during showcases when they were 16, when Miguel Sano was still dabbling at shortstop and already there were projections Gary Sanchez would have to move to first base.
Sanchez agreed with the Yankees in July 2009 for $3 million, the largest signing bonus that year for a non-Cuban player out of Latin America. That was until Sano signed with the Twins for $3.15 million that fall.
Though playing just 80 games, Sano finished third in the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year vote. Though playing just 53 games, Sanchez finished second in the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year vote. Both were All-Stars in 2017 and Sano eliminated Sanchez in the 2017 Home Run Derby semifinals before losing to Aaron Judge in the finals.
The future looked promising for the two 24-year-olds.
But 25 has not gone as well. Both struggled this year, raising questions anew about just where to play them in the field, and have not had their bats to protect them from such inquiries.
Sano was optioned to the minors on June 14. He was hitting just .203 with a .675 OPS and the Twins were worried about his waistline and approach at the plate (66 strikeouts in 37 games). He was only promoted again Friday to try third base once more because Minnesota traded Eduardo Escobar to the Diamondbacks.
“Miguel has done a great job with his work over the last month,” Derek Falvey, the Twins’ chief baseball officer, responded in a text. “Another major league opportunity has presented itself and now he has the chance to seize it. I’m confident he’ll continue the work he has been doing to put himself in the best position to do that.”
After reaching the wildcard game last year before losing to the Yankees, the Twins have been among the majors’ most disappointing teams. Many shortcomings have turned them into one of the more significant sellers in this market (Escobar and Ryan Pressly already have been traded with more likely to come). But central to the problems, and a huge issue, is that Sano and Byron Buxton — expected to be cornerstones — both played so poorly this season they needed to be demoted.
“We absolutely need Miguel Sano to be an impact player for us to be successful,” Falvey wrote. “While this year hasn’t gone the way any of us hoped for — and for Miguel in particular — we still need to focus on the work that gets him to be an impact player for us at the major league level.”
The Yankees are not as beholden to Sanchez because of a deeper talent reserve. Still, his .188 average, .699 OPS and persisting questions about his defense, hustle and now health provide as huge an issue as the Yankees have in the short term.