The Mets Are Picking Up Veteran Catcher Contracts Gary SanchezSNY’s Andy Martino report (Twitter link). He is expected to be officially added to the roster ahead of tomorrow’s match against the Guardians. The Mets will need to create a spot on the 40-man roster before the competition.
Sánchez signed a minor league contract with the Mets over a week ago. It was his second off-list pact of the season. He originally signed with the Giants shortly after Opening Day but never made it to a major tournament due to significant difficulties with their top division in Sacramento. He opted out and started with New York after that.
The two-time All-Star deal with the Mets allows him to opt out if he is not added to the MLB roster tomorrow. Luckily, he had a much better start for their Triple-A club in Syracuse than he had with Sacramento. He hit a record .318/.531/.545 with one homer, two doubles, eight walkers and nine strikes in seven games there. His overall Triple-A hit for the season was a modest 0.208/.386/.286 thanks to a rough first month, but he has clearly completed excellently in his short time with his new organization. me.
With the opt-out date approaching, reports earlier in the week suggested the Mets are strongly considering calling Sánchez up. Now that they have done so, he will be guaranteed a prorated $1.5 million salary (about $1.1 million through the end of the season). Even if the Mets pay 110% tax on that figure, bringing their total spending to about $2.31 million, that’s a fair amount for a capable #2 catcher.
Sánchez won’t replace the highly rated rookie Francisco Alvarez as the initiator. He will add an experienced depth option to the bench, providing some extra right-handed power for captain Buck Showalter. Of course, Sánchez is no stranger to New York as he starred for the Yankees for the first four seasons of his career. His attack has been on the decline since the start of 2020, when he carried the line .195/.287/.394 in less than 1100 appearances over the past three years.
A defensive player with a lot of malice during his time in the Bronx, Sánchez received respectable ratings from public figures last year during his lone season with the Twins. Statcast rated him as average in the league as a pitcher and saver. He threw out 28% of the guys who tried to steal the facility. If he can get past the average defense with some strength and discipline, he’ll be a solid backup catcher.
New York has no off-season subscribers Omar Narvaez and scheduled backup Tomas Nido due to injury. They relied on the journey Michael Perez as Álvarez’s backup recently. A player who scored .180/.250/.308 in his career, Pérez has one year of minor league selection left. Unless the Mets choose to bring three catchers, he is likely given the choice to go to Syracuse or be assigned for assignment.
