The Mets intend to see how potent Gary Sanchez’s bat continues to be.
The team added Gary Sanchez to its active roster ahead of Game 1 of New York’s series against the Guardians on Friday. The eight-year veteran will share the catching spot with rookie Francisco Álvarez and the designated hitter spot with other players.
It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward bet for a team that has struggled with its power production in recent weeks. When Sánchez became a free agent earlier this month, the Mets signed him to a minor league deal, with the stipulation that he could opt out of the contract if he wasn’t added to the roster by May 19.
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Con Sánchez, the Mets add a 30-year-old two-time All-Star who posted a .195/.287/.394 offensive line over the past three seasons with the Yankees and Twins. It’s been four years since he last made the All-Star Game, a season in which he hit 34 home runs with an .841 OPS for the Yankees.
Since joining Triple-A Syracuse, Sánchez has hit .318 with a 1.077 OPS in seven games, splitting time between catcher and designated hitter.
The Mets now want to see if he can repeat that kind of production at the highest level. In the near term, Sánchez should find plenty of opportunities behind the plate, with Omar Narváez (left calf strain) and Tomas Nido (dry eye syndrome) on the disabled list. By the time Narváez and Nido return in the next two or three weeks, the team should have a better idea of what Sánchez can contribute.
Sanchez is also likely to take DB spots from Daniel Vogelbach, Tommy Pham, Mark Canha and Mark Vientos.
2023-05-19 20:54:30
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