A source on the team confirmed that the San Diego Padres claimed catcher Gary Sanchez off waivers Monday the athlete. Here’s what you need to know:
- This is Sanchez’s third organization since April 1.
- The Mets designated Sanchez for assignment on May 25. Sanchez, in his first season with the Mets, had one RBI and no home run through only three games.
- Sanchez has 2,357 career at bats, averaging 0.225/.311/.466 with 154 home runs and 402 RBI.
the athleteInstant Analysis:
Why are the Padres venturing into Sanchez?
Honestly, they don’t have much to lose. According to FanGraphs, the Padres’ catchers combined for a complete win short of replacement, the lowest total among all 30 teams. Starter Austin Nola has been one of the worst hitters in the majors, starter Brett Sullivan hasn’t fared much better at the plate, and Luis Campusano isn’t close to making a comeback after undergoing thumb surgery this month.
Sanchez is unlikely to fill the Padres’ seemingly ever-present catcher void; He went unsigned all last season, and the 30-year-old is now in his third organization since April 1. received from hunters. Sanchez has a career-high .777 on-base percentage as well as a slugging percentage, though he’s come a long way from his days as a 30-homer. In 128 games last season with Minnesota, he hit .205 with 16 home runs. – flexible
How Sanchez’s addition might affect the roster
The Padres plan to option Nola or Sullivan down to Triple A, with the final decision likely on Tuesday. That would clear a spot for Sanchez, who is set to join the team in time for the series opener Tuesday night at LoanDepot Park. The Padres may not want to throw Sanchez behind the plate right away, but they do want that experience to start soon—the newcomer must start at least once during the Marlins’ streak.
Sánchez has a long-established reputation as a first batsman and an untimely defender who will have to learn new staff quickly. But if he delivers an offense that’s marginally better than Nola and Sullivan, he’ll increase his chances of survival. If not, he may soon find himself a free agent again, and will leave the Padres still grasping answers to their glaring postural weaknesses. – flexible
Sanchez’s time with the Mets
The Mets deemed Sanchez a low-risk, potentially high-reward player worth a try while sidelining two of their players. The return of Tomás Nido and the penetration of Francisco Alvarez made Sanchez expendable. While with the Mets, Sanchez didn’t play much, but he didn’t appear much when he did.
In his final start, he caught a pass and failed to catch a ball that popped into foul territory. However, he showed a good amount of strength in his time in Triple A for the Mets and posted numbers that looked much better than in his time in the Giants organization. – Samon
background story
Sanchez, 30, launched his MLB career in 2015. He played for the New York Yankees from 2015 to 2021 and the Minnesota Twins in 2022.
On March 31, 2023, Sanchez signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. He played 16 games with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.
Sanchez opted out of his contract on May 2 prior to signing a minor league contract with the Mets. He is a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner in 2017.
what are they saying
“It’s looking at the catch point, trying to get more production out of that location,” said Padres baseball operations president A.J. Briller. “Gary has been on good teams in New York, he’s been a two-time All-Star. I think at 30, he still has some physicality. I think it’s a low-cost acquisition, an opportunity to get something different from that place. And Gary brings arm strength, He has some ability off the bat. We’ll kind of see how that plays out with our club here in the next few weeks.”
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