4 massive trade chips Yankees need to sell in a fire sale
By John Buhler
C. New York Yankees. Gary Sanchez. 3. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. player. 43
It might be time to cut ties with “The Sanchize” Gary Sanchez behind the plate
At this point, Gary Sanchez is what he is behind the plate. He is never going to regularly be an above-average hitter in the big leagues. He has not hit above .232 since his breakout season of 2017. While he did make his second trip to the All-Star Game in 2019, Sanchez has hit below The Mendoza Line in two of the last four big league seasons. He has hit a definite ceiling in pinstripes.
The good news for the Yankees is he is hitting better than in his atrocious 2020 season. Sanchez has 14 home runs and 32 runs batted in for the 2021 Yankees in 66 games. While he is only hitting .221 on the season, he is getting on base just enough at .335 to be an intriguing trade asset. We also need to factor in him being arbitration eligible this winter and a free agent in 2023.
Getting a catcher who offers power at the plate on a team-friendly contract for the next two seasons is a huge plus for the Yankees. Then again, trading away a starting catcher and one who was at one point in a time a Silver Slugger is not something you should do recklessly either. If the Yankees do get the right offer for him, they might cut ties with Sanchez before he regresses again.
Power and two years worth of control from a starting catcher is an interesting trade piece to have.