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Next up in our look at each player on the Yankees 40-man roster is a high-end catching prospect who’s close to the big leagues, but still has some development to do.
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GARY SANCHEZ
Age on Opening Day: 22
Acquired: Signed out of the Dominican in 2009
Added to the 40-man: Protected from the Rule 5 in 2013
In the past: A top 10 organizational prospect from the moment he signed, Sanchez was touted for his big arm and plus power potential even as an international amateur. The past five-plus years have brought some questions about his maturity and his ability to stay behind the plate, and his recent stats have been relatively underwhelming considering his offensive reputation, but Sanchez is still awfully young and still carries the potential to be an impact hitter at the big league level. The Yankees still believe he could stick at catcher.
Role in 2015: In his second year on the 40-man roster, Sanchez should finally get his first taste of Triple-A. He spent part of 2013 and all of 2014 in Double-A where he’s hit .267/.342/.401 and run into some discipline issues, but the Yankees see him as a young guy still finding himself on the field and off With Brian McCann and John Ryan Murphy expected to open the season in New York, the Yankees have the luxury of patience with Sanchez. He can be optioned this year and again in 2016.
Best case scenario: His 2012 was good, but Sanchez is still waiting for a true breakout season, and this year would be a good time to have it. Still in his early 20s but finally ready for the highest level of the minor leagues, Sanchez could reestablish himself as a future everyday catcher if he has a strong year in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He doesn’t necessarily have to get to New York before September to make this season an overwhelming success. Hitting for average and power while winning the confidence of the Triple-A pitching staff would be a giant leap forward.
Worst case scenario: Jesus Montero. That’s pretty much the personal worst-case scenario for Sanchez: that he can’t stay at catcher and falls flat at the big league level. Of course, the Yankees sold high on Montero and got — possibly — a rotation mainstay in return. In the case of Sanchez, if he falls flat and disappoints, the Yankees will have missed their opportunity to capitalize on his trade value. They’ll just have a prospect who didn’t work out.
What the future holds: Sanchez can be optioned to Triple-A this year and next, so the Yankees have some time to let him develop. In the meantime, they have McCann and Murphy in place, meaning there’s no rush. After two years, though, Sanchez should be out of options while McCann will still have at least two years left on his contract. There’s no need to make a big decision about Sanchez right now, but eventually the Yankees are going to have to decide whether he has a future, whether he should stay at catcher, and whether that changes things with the other catchers in the organization.
Associated Press photo
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