Yankees Made Right Call Passing on Former Stars

Who says you can't go home? Well, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, at least in this case.

The Yankees passed on signing a trio of former stars who could have addressed potential holes in the roster. And frankly, New York was right to pass each time.

Let's start with former Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela.

"(The) Twins have signed Gio Urshela to a minor league deal," The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman reports.

"Urshela initially joined the Twins from the Yankees in the Josh Donaldson trade and was their primary third baseman in 2022. He was traded to the Angels the next winter," Gleeman adds.

"Now he's 34 and hasn't hit much the past three years," Gleeman concludes.

Not-So-Hot Corner

Yes, the Yankees could use some pop at third base, with all-glove, no-bat Ryan McMahon holding down the hot corner until Oswaldo Cabrera returns from a broken left ankle. But Urshela is well past his prime, so give Cashman credit for passing on the third baseman.

Since leaving New York, Urshela has bounced from the Twins to the Los Angeles Angels to the Detroit Tigers to the Atlanta Braves to the Athletics. He played in 59 games last season for the A's, hitting a paltry. 238 with 20 RBIs and no home runs.

That brings us to candidate No. 2, former Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reports Sanchez is going to the Milwaukee Brewers on a one-year, $1.75 million contract.

Help Behind The Plate

Yes, the Yankees could use a right-handed hitting catcher at this point. Consider what NJ.com's Randy Miller is reporting: "the Yankees still might trade for a right-handed-hitting catcher to share time with regular Austin Wells and keep Ben Rice mostly on first base."

So why not take a chance on Sanchez? After all, he was a two-time All-Star for the Yankees and hit 189 home runs over six seasons in the Bronx. Well, here's why.

Former Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez — Jul 1, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Gary Sanchez (99) hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The 33-year-old Sanchez was never a star defensively behind the plate, and the Yankees saw that first-hand, when he led all big-league catchers with errors in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

On top of that, Sanchez's skills in the batter's box have eroded. He hit five home runs in 29 games last season for the Baltimore Orioles. His batting average hasn't been above .232 since 2017 and his OPS last cracked .800 in 2019. So that's a hard pass for Cashman.

Arms Race

And then there's door No. 3: left-hander Jordan Montgomery. The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant reports the Texas Rangers signed Montgomery to a one-year contract.

The New York Post's Joel Sherman reports it's a $1.2 million deal with another $1.75 million available in bonuses.

But here's the rub: Montgomery is recovering from Tommy John surgery and might not be ready to return until the All-Star break. Which means a return to the Bronx wouldn't have made sense.

Yes, the Yankees need fresh arms with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt all missing the start of the season while recovering from arm surgery. But Cole and Rodon both should return by the All-Star break and Schmidt could make a late-summer debut. So Cashman was wise to let Montgomery continue his comeback elsewhere.

The 33-year-old make his MLB debut in 2017 with the Yankees. And he impressed, going 22-20 with a 3.94 ERA in 98 games (97 starts) over six seasons in New York. The Yankees traded Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.

Look, the Yankees' roster isn't perfect, with Cashman deciding to largely run it back with the same crew which lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series.

But bringing retreads back to the Bronx to plug roster holes just doesn't add up, so give Cashman credit for knowing when to say no.

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