The Giants are in agreement on a minor league deal with veteran catcher Gary Sánchez, according to a report by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Friday. The club has not confirmed the news.
Sánchez, 30, is expected to report to the club’s spring training home in Scottsdale, Arizona before moving to a minor league affiliate. Rosenthal said he has the option to back out of his deal if he isn’t promoted to the majors by May 1.
Sánchez, traded from the Yankees to the Twins with Gio Urshela for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt last March, hit .205/.282/.377 (89 OPS+) with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 128 games for Minnesota 2022 It was the third straight season for the backstop with an OPS+ below 100, which is the league average.
Sánchez arrived on the scene with the Bronx Bombers in 2016, hitting 20 homers in 53 games and finishing second to Michael Fulmer in the AL rookie of the year. After following in 2017 with 33 homers, 90 RBIs and an .876 OPS, Sánchez appeared to be an important part of New York’s young core alongside Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Luis Severino.
However, his final seasons in pinstripes were marked by declining offensive performance and criticism of his defense.
After being dealt out to Minnesota, Sánchez opened the split between the DH and Catcher spots in 2022, but was forced back into regular duty behind the plate after Ryan Jeffers underwent right thumb surgery in July.
The Giants carried three catchers — Joey Bart, Roberto Pérez and Rule 5 draft pick Blake Sabol — on their opening day roster this year, but each has question marks, creating uncertainty about the club’s long-term prospects behind the plate.
The 26-year-old Bart hasn’t developed as quickly as the Giants hoped when they picked him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2018 draft.
San Francisco didn’t guarantee Bart a spot on the roster early in the spring, though he earned a spot in the catch mix with a solid performance during the Cactus League game. Still, the Giants opted to give Pérez the starting shot in Thursday’s 5-0 opening day loss to the Yankees, with Bart coming on as a defensive back-up in the eighth inning.
“I think Roberto is a reassuring presence behind the plate,” said manager Gabe Kapler. “On a day like today, it really pays to keep cool. Joey shares many of these traits as well. I don’t want to take that away from him. But I will speak specifically [Pérez] — a calming presence, makes everyone comfortable. We know he will be prepared. The stage is good for him. Nothing will overpower him. He felt like the right choice to work with Logan [Webb].”
Pérez, 34, won two Gold Glove Awards in his eight-year run at Cleveland, but he has some concerns about durability after playing just 65 games in the last two seasons due to injuries. Sabol, 25, is a converted fielder still working to hone his catching skills and made his major league debut in left field on Thursday.
Austin Wynns was the Giants’ oddball catch this spring, but he also remains an option at Triple-A Sacramento.