World surrendered
Sanchez backs out of Classic so he can attend spring training
It has turned into a good week for the Yankees. They picked up a slugger on the cheap and e rad i c ate d a headache they didn’t need.
On Tuesday, as the Yankees took aboard free agent Chris Carter to boost their offense, their most dynamic offensive player of 2016, Gary Sanchez, said he had o pte d o ut of the World Baseball Classic after agreeing to play for Team Dominican Republic.
“I actually said yes initially,” Sanchez said, through an interpreter at the Thurman Munson Awards to benefit the AHRC New York City Foundation in Midtown. “I was going to be on the team. This last week, I spoke to my family, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt I had to be in spring training for the full spring training to get ready for the season.”
Sanchez added, “I’ve only been in the big leagues for two months, and I know it went well, but there’s still a lot I have to do preparation-wise to be able to catch for a whole season for the first time.”
His goal, Sanchez said, is to catch 130-140 games for the Yankees. In reality, the Yankees probably will try to limit Sanchez to about 120.
The 24-year-old said he hadn’t spoken with Yankees officials about the WBC, but everyone knows all clubs are thrilled whenever players choose not to compete in the well-intentioned, poorly timed event.
“I actually said yes initially. ... [T]he more I thought about it, the more I felt I had to be in spring training for the full spring training to get ready for the season.” — Gary Sanchez