Making the Case Against the Royals Signing Gary Sanchez
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At the end of the 2022 campaign, the Kansas City Royals were rumored to be on the hunt for a backup catcher. The blueprint for such a move was there, as Cam Gallagher got traded away at the deadline during the season, Salvador Perez isn't getting any younger and MJ Melendez's stint in the outfield sparked more optimism than his stint behind the plate did. Heading into the offseason, a potential acquisition there made sense.
Then, however, Kansas City surprised many by protecting catcher Freddy Fermin from the Rule 5 Draft. That promptly added Fermin to the 40-man roster, raising questions about his role in 2023 and possibly beyond. After some possible free agent options came off the proverbial board, talk of the Royals signing a veteran catcher subsided for the most part. Until recently, that is.
When speaking on MLB Network about the market for former New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins backstop Gary Sanchez, Jon Morosi mentioned the Royals as a possible destination for him. He argued that signing Sanchez would help relieve Perez as needed, as well as allow Melendez to continue being a utility player of sorts around the field. While that is sound logic in a vacuum, added context makes it more and more of a head-scratching hypothetical move.
First and foremost, it's doubtful that Sanchez would accept such a limited role in Kansas City. Even if Perez saw a decrease in his playing time, it's entirely possible that Melendez still gets at least some work behind the plate and Fermin could follow suit. Sanchez isn't the sure-hitting catcher he was early in his career, but he has a 94 wRC+ over his last two seasons and has played 245 games during that span. He still has a playable bat for the time being and at age 30, he isn't a prime candidate to regress. Going from a majority role in terms of playing time to someone who sees the field just once or twice a week likely wouldn't sit well with him. A backup catcher role in Kansas City isn't quite the same as one on other teams.
Secondly, signing Sanchez would effectively end the Melendez-at-catcher experiment. It could be true that Kansas City simply prefers Melendez in left field and doesn't want him to be the franchise's long-term solution behind the plate, but deciding so after less than one full season would be rather premature. Bringing in a starting-caliber player simply doesn't leave much room left for anyone else. Melendez needs to continue being tried out at catcher, even if he's also working elsewhere on a more consistent basis.
Lastly, what about Fermin? He may be 27 and that aforementioned protection from the Rule 5 Draft doesn't necessarily mean that the Royals believe in his long-term potential, but he's intriguing nonetheless. After posting an .845 OPS in 87 games at Triple-A Omaha in 2022, Fermin had an MVP-winning stint with Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League. Across 193 plate appearances, he slashed .404/.482/.566 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBIs. The sample size and level of competition must be taken into account, of course, but Fermin is doing all the right things in order to gain some sort of big-league role in 2023. If Kansas City signed Sanchez, that opportunity would evaporate.
In a world where Salvador Perez wasn't going to play for most or all of the season, the Royals would be justified in going after Sanchez. As the team is currently constructed, though, it just doesn't make a ton of sense. Perez is still firmly entrenched as the captain of the defense, Melendez likely isn't done being at least a part-time backstop and Fermin's recent performance in the Venezuelan Winter League puts him firmly on the radar. With spring training approaching in just over a month, Kansas City should steer clear of making a push for Sanchez.
