Gary Sanchez is ready for a move away from the New York Yankees.
The power-hitting catcher reported to Minnesota Twins camp Monday morning along with his teammate Gio Urshela, 12 hours after being included in a 3-for-2 trade which sent Josh Donaldson and the short-lived shortstop Isiah Kner-Falefa from Minnesota to New York. In the deal, the Yankees also purchased catcher Ben Rortvedt.
Sanchez is still settling in and Sanchez expressed excitement about the opportunity to play with the Twins. They plan to pair him up with Ryan Jeffers, a young catcher. On Saturday, the Twins traded veteran catcher Mitch Garver to Texas Rangers for Kinerfalefa. They then moved him to New York. Sonny Gray , the Twins’ starting pitcher, was also purchased from the Cincinnati Reds by the Twins. There are likely to be more moves in the future.
Sanchez, 29, discussed his trade with reporters during a seven-minute session. He deflected any questions about his tenure with the Yankees. Sanchez, a superb power hitter but with poor defense since his debut in October 2015 was unable to score in either of the previous two seasons. In 2021, Sanchez hit just.204 and had a.307 on base percentage, a high.423 slugging percent, and 23 home runs in 440 plate games.
Sanchez, speaking through a translator on behalf of the team, said that “Since last evening, that chapter has ended.” It’s over.
The Twins hope that Sanchez will get back on track by playing for a new team.
Sanchez, a two-time All-Star, was the runner-up for the AL Rookie Of The Year award in 2016. Sanchez’s bat could give the Twins the boost they need after trading Donaldson (2015 AL MVP Award winner).
Sanchez had a career high of 105 homers in his first three and a half seasons in the majors, with a.847 OPS. His glove was not up to his offensive abilities, and he received a lot of unwelcome attention during his time with the Yankees.
Derek Falvey, Twins president of baseball operations, stated that he has been under a lot pressure. “He struggled at different times. He has the talent. We triangulated as many details as possible about his makeup and background as we could, watching him play and seeing what he does. This kid is determined to succeed. Now, maybe a reset. Sometimes, take a deep breathe, go somewhere else, and continue down that path. We’ll give him the opportunity.”
They believe that there is a strong support network. They love the idea of Sanchez joining a cast that includes Spanish-first speakers Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano and Luis Arraez.
It’s also a good thing that Urshela will be joining him. Since joining the Yankees in 2019, Sanchez has been very close to the defense-first infielder. He will likely spend most of his time at third base without Donaldson.
After learning about the trade on Sunday night, the two players spoke regularly and expressed their surprise. The two players then gathered together to make the two-hour journey from Tampa to Fort Myers Monday morning. Urshela stated that he believes Sanchez will enjoy the new location.
Urshela stated, “He was excited.” He was very happy. This is Gary’s first opportunity, and we have heard great things about Minnesota. He’s got the talent. He comes in with confidence. He’ll be a great player.”
