Could the Yankees Trade Gary Sánchez Later This Winter?
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Even during a league-wide lockout, questions of Gary Sánchez's future with the Yankees endure.
New York's backstop, once the top prospect within the Yankees organization, has experienced his fair share of highs and lows since his first true taste of the big leagues back in 2016.
Sánchez is a two-time All-Star with tremendous arm strength behind the dish and some elite pop at the plate when he's riding a hot streak. He's also coming off a disastrous pandemic-shortened season in 2020 and another disappointing campaign this past year, hitting just .187 with 185 strikeouts over 166 games in that span.
The Yankees chose to hold on to Sánchez prior to the conception of MLB's lockout earlier this offseason, even if he was a non-tender candidate. That doesn't mean Sánchez is immune to trade rumors for the rest of this offseason, though.
Lindsey Adler of The Athletic weighed in on Sánchez's future in a roundtable this week, choosing the backstop as one Yankees player that could start the 2022 season with another club.
Here's Adler's take on the situation:
Gary Sánchez is the ultimate “fresh start” candidate after a turbulent few years with the Yankees. He had a fairly good 2021 season until some regression hit toward the end of the year, but his tenure has been marked by inconsistency and frustration about his ups and downs as a player. The Yankees no longer seem sold on Sánchez as their catcher of the future, and if they can find another starting catcher option this winter, they seem ready to try someone new at the position.
It certainly seems like New York is willing to move on from Sánchez. Brian Cashman's noncommittal comments at the end of this past season alone can tell that story. At this point, it comes down to whether or not the Yankees can find another asset that would be a worthy replacement at catcher.
There are only a few catchers out there that could be on the move once the lockout ends. Maybe Willson Contreras of the Cubs? New York already missed the boat on some catchers like Jacob Stallings (traded from Pittsburgh to Miami), Tucker Barnhart (traded from the Reds to the Tigers) or Yan Gomes (who signed with Cubs). Kyle Higashioka is the only other big-league catcher currently on New York's 40-man roster.
READ: Weak Catching Market Should Simplify Yankees’ Impending Gary Sánchez Decision
Holding onto Sánchez for another year seems like the most logical conclusion at this point. There are other positions that the Yankees need to address more than catcher (like shortstop or first base and center field) and whether you agree with it or not, Sánchez still has the potential to put together a solid season, continuing to take steps forward on defense while returning to form in the batter's box. He hasn't produced lately by any means, but he continues to work his tail off. The player that nearly won a Rookie of the Year Award and received MVP votes earlier in his career is still in there somewhere.
If an opportunity presented itself in 2022 for the Yankees to acquire a new catcher, don't be surprised if they pounce. Either way, New York will need to make a decision on Sánchez soon.
The 29-year-old is under contract for just one more season. There are a few talented catching prospects within the organization—like Austin Wells, Josh Breaux and Antonio Gomez—but they're still years away from a big-league promotion.
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