With a struggling offense at the big-league level, the Mets recently signed catcher/DH Gary Sanchez to a minor-league deal. The former Yankee slugger reported to Triple-A and has suited up for five games with the Syracuse Mets thus far.
It feels like he just landed in the organization, which is true. However, general manager Billy Eppler and Co. will need to make some kind of decision on his future with New York by Friday.
Here’s what Will Sammon said about it over the weekend:
Noteworthy on Gary Sánchez: Have heard he can opt out of Mets minors deal on May 19. With Syracuse, he's 6 for 13, one home run.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) May 13, 2023
The decision to sign Sanchez in the first place was a low-risk move. With Omar Narvaez and now Tomas Nido both on the Injured List, the Mets needed upper-minors depth behind Francisco Alvarez and Michael Perez on the catcher depth chart.
Worst-case scenario, he looked like he did with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, where he hit .164/.319/.182 with no home runs and eight RBI in 69 plate appearances. And if that was the case, they could just cut bait. But if Sanchez’s bat showed a little life, it could be a boon to a New York lineup that could use a right-handed hitter with some thump in his bat.
Sanchez has racked up 23 plate appearances since joining the organization. It’s led to a .375/.565/.688 line with two doubles, one homer, five RBI, and seven (!) walks. Maybe Carlos Beltran said something magical to him during batting practice prior to his first game in Syracuse:
Gary Sanchez taking BP under the watchful eye of Carlos Beltran #WelcomeToTheFamily ?? pic.twitter.com/7dfwx3hQtn
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) May 10, 2023
If what Sammon is hearing about Sanchez’s opt-out clause is accurate, there’s really no reason why New York shouldn’t give him a chance in the big leagues. This is once again a low-risk/high-reward scenario.
They can promote him this week and option Michael Perez back to Triple-A (or someone else, like Luis Guillorme). Alvarez can continue to play most days, and manager Buck Showalter can also see how Sanchez’s bat plays as the right-handed portion of a Designated Hitter platoon.
If it works, then it’s a huge steal for the organization with regard to finding some power to put in the lineup. And if it doesn’t, they can once again just cut bait. We don’t know exactly how long Nido will be sidelined with dry eye syndrome, but Narvaez is apparently still on track to return sometime in June. And with Perez still around, the Mets could revert back to an Alvarez-Perez tandem until someone else is ready to return if need be.
The Mets have nothing to lose here. Especially if Sanchez continues to hit over the next couple of days. So, if an opt-out date is looming, we should probably expect to see Sanchez with New York at some point this week or weekend.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
