By AJ Cassavell | before an hour
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The Padres needed catching help. Gary Sánchez needed a home.
That game felt like a given from the moment Sánchez was drafted by the Mets last week, and it came to fruition on Monday.
The Padres called off Sánchez from the New York waivers to improve their underperforming catch situation. For Sánchez it is his third appearance this season. He started the year with the Giants, although he never played a game for them before joining the Mets, where he had one hit of six at-bats.
The 30-year-old Sánchez, a nine-year veteran and two-time Yankees All-Star, has struggled for most of the past four seasons. But he was a worthwhile signing for a team that has pulled the sport’s worst performance from their backstops this season, according to fWAR.
“At the catching spot, we’re looking for a little more productivity,” said AJ Preller, Padres general manager. “Gary is a two-time All-Star and played on a good team in New York. He has some physical abilities. I think it’s an opportunity and a low cost acquisition to see if we can improve the fishing ground and just change our mix for a while.
How does Sanchez fit?
Sánchez is expected to join the team in Miami this week. His arrival almost certainly means that either Brett Sullivan or Austin Nola would be available for selection ahead of Tuesday’s series opener.
From there, it’s unclear how much playing time Sánchez would get. He will at least get the opportunity to earn something.
“We’re not going into anyone playing X days or anyone acting as a backup,” Preller said. “The game and the players will dictate that and we will allow it.” [Padres manager Bob Melvin] We have the ability to make some of those decisions with our catch.”
Simply put, when Sánchez performs, he has an opportunity to carve out a role for himself in San Diego.
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What to Expect
At his peak, Sánchez was one of the sport’s finest batsmen. He posted an .876 OPS in 2017 and an .841 OPS in 2019 when the Yankees made two trips to the ALCS. Those offensive numbers masked some defensive deficiencies. But Sánchez still boasts a big arm behind the plate, and his frame numbers were usable enough.
But in the last four seasons, Sánchez has not been the same player offensively. Since the start of the 2020 season, he has only averaged .195 with an OPS of .679.
Then again, the Padres aren’t necessarily demanding that Sánchez be the 2019 version of himself. If they can split the difference between the all-star caliber Sanchez and the version from the last four seasons, that would be an upgrade.
“We’re still seeing raw arm power,” Preller said. “In terms of design, he’s made some real progress in the last three or four years. The ability to be a threat on the field, I think all of that is there.”
“From our point of view, it’s about giving him a chance and seeing where that goes.”
How will he acclimate?
That’s the hard part. Sanchez doesn’t just line up and be asked to bat. He’s a looker. He has to learn a whole pitching team on the fly in mid-season.
“This guy played a lot of baseball,” Preller said. “And we have some experienced pitchers who have thrown at a lot of different players over the years. So I think we’ll be fine with that.”
It won’t be easy and Sánchez’s recent track record raises muted expectations. But the Padres had to find a good catcher somewhere – especially since backstop Luis Campusano, 24, is likely to be out in the All-Star break following thumb surgery.
So Sánchez was exactly the type of player worth playing against.