The New York Mets have signed former New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez to a minor league contract, according to reports from the New York Post and MLB.com.
Sanchez, 30, opted out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants last week after he was not added to their major league roster. He had initially agreed to a minor league deal with the Giants in late March, with the stipulation that he could leave if he was not promoted to the major leagues by May 1.
During his time with Triple-A Sacramento, Sanchez batted .164 with one extra-base hit and eight RBIs in 16 games. The two-time All-Star had a challenging season with the Minnesota Twins last year, batting .205 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs in 128 games.
Sanchez spent parts of seven seasons with the Yankees, starting off strong by hitting 20 home runs in 53 games in 2016. He finished second for American League Rookie of the Year honors that year, despite a late recall from the minors. In the 2017 season, Sanchez hit 33 home runs with a career-high 90 RBIs, batting .278 in 122 games. He earned All-Star recognition that year, as well as in 2019, when he hit a career-high 34 home runs.
However, Sanchez’s performance has declined over the past three seasons, with batting averages of .147, .204, and .205 in the major leagues. Throughout his career, Sanchez has maintained a .225 average with 154 home runs and 401 RBIs in 666 games.
