Yankees are open to trading catcher Gary Sanchez

As the New York Yankees start to consider other options, they are open to trading catcher Gary Sanchez.

There’s no denying New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez had a rough 2020 season, eventually being replaced by Kyle Higashioka in the postseason. Last month general manager Brian Cashman said the catcher position was subject to evaluation, and now according to the New York Post the Yankees will at least listen to trade offers for Sanchez.

Earlier on Thursday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network listed the Yankees among the suitors for free agent catcher Yadier Molina. Molina would be a defensive upgrade over Sanchez, but it’s hard to see a whole lot more.

Sanchez posted a .147/.253/.365 slash-line with 10 home runs and 24 RBI over 178 plate appearances this past season. He struck out a good bit more (36 percent), and his BABIP was .159. Whatever the explanation, Sanchez is still only 27 (28 on Dec. 2). He hit 34 home runs in 2019, the second 30-plus homer season the last three full, normal campaigns.

The Yankees would be selling low on Sanchez

Sanchez is unlikely to hit for a high average, and he’ll never be a great defensive catcher (major league-high in passed balls in 2017 and 2018, and an AL-high in passed balls in 2020). So his value is driven by his offense, and power more specifically. If you’re into on-pace stats, Sanchez would have hit 25 home runs over a full 2020 season based on his number of plate appearances in 2019.

Sanchez deeper batted ball metrics were not markedly different than 2019 this past season. Over a short season, there’s a case to be made there was just no opportunity for correction.

Sanchez was a Rookie of the Year runner-up, with two All-Star nods and a Silver Slugger by the time his age-26 season was over. Even defensively he throws out runners at around a league-average rate, which is hard to see when the passed balls get attention. The Yankees would be selling low, but there are teams who will be willing to oblige.