Cashman on Sánchez: He Is “Our Everyday Guy” in 2021
Photo Via: Kathleen Malone-Van DykeIn an apparent response to Gary Sánchez’s offseason interview with ESPN’s Marly Rivera, GM Brian Cashman offered plenty of information about where the organization stands with Sánchez. Cashman appeared on WFAN’s Moose & Maggie last week when co-host Maggie Gray asked him about Sánchez’s assertion that the Yankees did not communicate with him as to why he was benched last October. Cashman was straightforward, not holding back at all, after years of the Yankees publicly defending Sánchez from extensive, and many times unnecessary, criticism.
“I think the whole world knows why he was benched... Whether he was told directly or not, I don’t care. It’s self-awareness at that point. You had a horrible year and lost your job at the most important time of the season, which is October baseball. I’m not sure if an explanation is necessary... It is what it is, and your play speaks for itself. You play well enough to keep playing or you don’t.”
Sánchez hit .147 last season and was replaced by Kyle Higashioka to catch ace Gerrit Cole’s starts. Like most Yankees’ fans, Cashman reiterated that Sánchez should have known exactly why he was not in the starting nine every night. However, Cashman seemed ready to put the past behind him and reaffirmed his belief in Sánchez’s talents. “I’m not going to judge him on the last year. I’m not going to judge him on that interview either. I have had a lot of conversations with Gary. I know the talent level he possesses, I do know he cares, I do know he works, and I’m pretty certain that you are going to see a different version, as long as he stays healthy, you are going to see a different season from him this year,” Cashman said. The GM also pointed towards the fact that the Yanks tendered a contract to Sánchez as evidence of the club’s faith in the catcher.
“Certainly by us tendering him the contract and still making him our everyday guy, it tells you that we believe that he is going to get back to that.”
There you have it, the Yankees’ plan moving forward into 2021 is to have Gary Sánchez as the starting catcher. It sounds like Sánchez can certainly earn himself a nice, cozy spot on the bench once again, but the Yankees as an organization believe Sánchez is the guy for now.