New York Yankees set to promote top prospect Gary Sanchez
The New York Yankees are clearly looking beyond 2016 now, and the reported promotion of Gary Sanchez is another step in that direction.
Next: 5 reasons Yankees should release Alex Rodriguez
The New York Yankees were in rare sell mode heading into Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, and they came out among the winners of the day. General manager Brian Cashman unloaded a few veterans that had more value to contending teams while stocking up the team’s minor league system along the way.
The youth movement in the Bronx is set to continue, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post reporting Tuesday that catcher and top prospect Gary Sanchez will be called up in time for Wednesday night’s game against the New York Mets.
#Yankees expected to promote Gary Sanchez tmrw and start v. LH Matz, probably as DH. #Mets.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) August 2, 2016
Sanchez is plenty worthy of a major league promotion, with a .285/.340/.473 slash-line, 10 home runs, 50 RBI and 21 doubles over 70 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He was briefly promoted to the big leagues in May, with four at-bats in one game, but he suffered a thumb injury soon after being sent back to Triple-A. Sanchez also got a cup of coffee with the Yankees in 2015, with two at-bats over two games, but at this point he has little to prove in the minors and could be up with the Yankees to stay.
Sherman’s report suggests Sanchez will be in the lineup as the designated hitter Wednesday night against left-handed Mets’ starter Steven Matz. He could take some playing time from Brian McCann behind the plate going forward, with some sort of split of at-bats between DH and catcher among the two looking possible.
Sanchez’s promotion could have a significant impact on Alex Rodriguez’s playing time. To a lesser degree, Mark Teixeira could also be impacted over the rest of the season, if McCann plays some first base to make room for Sanchez.
Sherman reported the Yankees still aren’t planning to waive Rodriguez, while also acknowledging the further negative impact on his playing time. But the organization is clearly preparing to move forward by bringing Sanchez up, assuming an extended opportunity is coming, and carrying Rodriguez as a highly paid occasional bench bat makes no sense.
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