Thoughts on the Gary Sánchez Interview With ESPN’s Marly Rivera
ESPN’s Marly Rivera interviewed Yankees’ catcher Gary Sánchez this offseason and released a translated transcript of the conversation this week. Rivera extracted detailed responses from the typically quiet Yankee veteran. The interview covered a range of topics, including his demotion from everyday catcher in the 2020 Postseason and the philosophy changes and implementations under last season’s new catching coach, Tanner Swanson.
“I didn’t know why I wasn’t playing.”
- Gary Sánchez
The central takeaway for most media outlets has been that Sánchez claimed he was not sure why the team benched him and that he hoped the Yankees communicated better with him as to what caused the change. Sánchez struggled mightily at the plate right from the beginning of the 2020 season. His batting average barely sniffed the .200 mark at any point in the season and he struck out at a 36% rate, a number that has increased each season since 2017. He mentioned that his pitch framing at the bottom of the strike zone improved, but at the expense of framing in other areas of the zone.
The Yankees are best off making it clear to Sánchez exactly what is expected of him. There is no doubt that Sánchez, who is still only 28 years old, intends on playing every day. He is still under team control with arbitration eligibility, so his contract is not exactly hampering the franchise with the largest player payroll in the league. Sánchez’s struggles were undeniable, but his potential and power should keep him in the lineup for 2020.
Yanks’ ace Gerrit Cole teamed up with catcher Kyle Higashioka to form a battery towards the end of the 2020 season. This may be the biggest factor in future decisions surrounding Sánchez. If Cole cannot throw to Gary each start, then it will be likely that the longtime Yankees catcher will not see a contract extension with New York. The Yankees are not likely to sign a catcher that would not be able to play with the ace on the mound, which would likely include Game 1 in nearly every Postseason series, and many other important October games. In 2021, if Sánchez is not the catcher when #45 is on the hill, then his value to the team is diminished to the point where re-signing him would not make great sense. If Cole and Sánchez do find success working together, that can revitalize Gary’s career and keep him in Pinstripes for quite some time.
If the Yankees and Sánchez want to stay together, the lines of communication must remain open. Sánchez stated, “I was confused when we weren’t in communication in the playoffs.” He mentioned that he requested a conversation with manager Aaron Boone after the Postseason, and that it was “very positive” and “respectful”. Gary stated, “After talking to Boone, everything is fine.” He went on to say that communication was good prior to the Postseason and has been good since talking with Boone. But to avoid distractions, the Yankees need to ensure Sánchez is in the loop when decisions regarding his playing time are made.
Sánchez is a two-time All-Star with two seasons of 33 or more home runs under his belt. He is not a lost cause or prospect that never put it all together. It is unlikely that 45 games started paints a full picture of what Sánchez is as a player. It is unlikely that he will hit .147 for an extended period of time again. But what is clear is that if Gary wants to remain with the Yankees as the starting catcher, the positive results need to occur at the onset of the 2021 season. Due to the lack of at bats in the 2020 regular season, Sánchez is playing in the Dominican Winter League to get more reps. The Yankees gave permission for the catcher to play in the league, and time will tell if he is back on track to play well for the Bronx Bombers.