Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela Have Been Traded To The Twins
Photo Via: David Berding — Getty Images
Yankees fans: we are not used to this. Throughout my lifetime, it has been such a rarity that a mainstay player has been traded away from the Bombers. We have grown comfortable with ripping away the favorite players of other fan bases, but we almost never have to deal with that angst ourselves. If the Yankees ever trade a major leaguer, it is usually a situation like Sonny Gray where there was a clear understanding that things were not working out. Taking other team’s veterans, though? No problem. The Yankees acquired Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo last year alone. It is usually our thing. La cosa nostra.
Well this time we are getting a little taste of our own medicine. No, Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela were not the best players on the Yankees, nor were they in the top tier. But Sánchez has been in the organization for almost 13 years and Urshela made so much out of 3 seasons in the Bronx.
Let’s start the good-byes off with Gary Sánchez. The last time the Yankees decided to shed multiple veteran players contemporaneously, it brought us The Kraken. In 2016, Gary got his first gig as the starting catcher after Brian McCann was dealt to the Astros. In just 53 games, Sánchez smoked 20 homers and captured the attention of every Yankees fan praying for a rapid rebuild. He finished the season with a .299 average, displaying exceptional bat-to-ball skills.
As he entered the following season, so did the spotlight. The bar was set, but with the usual Bronx boost. Offensively, Gary did everything he needed to do. The catcher went deep 33 times and drove in 90 runs. You would take that every single year from your backstop. However the defensive side of the game is where No. 24 drew criticism. During his entire time in Pinstripes, Sánchez experimented with various catching techniques. He had his throwing hand in front of his knee, then his throwing hand behind his back. He went from squatting to kneeling. It was always something. But it was never comfortable for him back there.
Perhaps the issues distracted him from the offensive side of the game, because his numbers at the plate took a nose dive as he worked harder to play better behind it. He never hit .235 in a single season after 2017, including two years of sub-.200 averages.
Despite all of that, El Gary brought us some of the best moments from the Yankees over the past five years. Enjoy.
5. Late Gary bomb makes Ken Giles punch himself.
4. Gary hits sacrifice fly to the wall on an intentional walk.
3. The Kraken throws out Tony Kemp off the backstop.
2. Two home runs for El Gary at Fenway.
1. Gary hits a double in the 2017 ALCS.
The rollercoaster Yankees career of Gary Sánchez is over for now, but what a wild ride it was.
Gio Urshela had less of a wild ride with the Yanks, but he similarly made an immediate impact. The third baseman was acquired from the Blue Jays midway through the 2018 season in exchange for $25,000. He was not slated to be an everyday player, but when Miguel Andújar tore his shoulder when sliding back into third base in the first week of the 2019 season (I unfortunately was there to witness it in-person), the door opened for Urshela to earn some playing time.
A career .225 hitter at the time, Urshela really got the chance because of his above average glove. He stuck around because of the lumber. Gio hit .314 with 21 jacks in 132 games in 2019, then continued it into the shortened season in 2020. That year, he batted .298 with 6 homers. He also gained a reputation for stellar defense, finishing runner-up in the AL 3B Gold Glove Award race, just behind a guy named Isiah Kiner-Falefa. “The Most Happy Fella” had big moments on offense and defense. Here are the five that stood out:
5. Inside-the-park madness.
4. Gio walks it off against the Rays.
3. Urshela flies into the dugout in Game 162.
2. The grand slam off James Karinchak in the ALWC.
1. The Triple Play Trifecta.
That is where the story ends for Gary and Gio, but as one door closes, another one opens.
The return package from Minnesota consisted of an interesting mix of players. The aforementioned Gold Glover, Kiner-Falefa, was dealt from the Rangers to the Twins just this past week, but the Twins wasted no time in flipping him to the Yanks. The Yankees had been interested in ‘IKF’ for some time, so his name was the least surprising of the three heading to the Bronx. Kiner-Falefa arrived in the majors as a catcher, a move he made to fast track his ETA. Then, he moved to third base, where he took home that Gold Glove. Last year, he exclusively played shortstop. His defensive numbers took a bit of a hit after the move to the middle infield, but that is not uncommon after having a near-perfect defensive season the year prior at the hot corner. For now, it seems like shortstop is where IKF will stay.
The biggest shock of the trade was the inclusion of 36-year-old third baseman Josh Donaldson. As MLB struggled to manage a “sticky” issue throughout baseball, Donaldson named Yanks’ ace Gerrit Cole as a pitcher he suspected of losing his best stuff after the ban on foreign substances. Cole proceeded to retire JD in each of their matchups following the accusations, and he made it clear they were not on great terms at the time.
That tone has now changed, with each Cole and Donaldson saying they have moved past it and are focused on the ultimate goal: winning a World Series. Will Yankees fans move past it with Donaldson and accept him? That is for his play to decide.
The last piece in the swap was 24-year-old catcher Ben Rortvedt. The Wisconsin native is a defensive-minded backstop with 3 career home runs in limited action. He debuted in 2021 with Minnesota, hitting for a modest .169 average and .510 OPS. As of now, Rortvedt and Higashioka are the only major league catchers on the roster, but perhaps that can change before Opening Day.
With all of the excitement built up surrounding this year’s free agent class, it was a surprise to see Cashman hit the trade market as hard as he did here. Let’s hope it pays off.