gary sanchez mets
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And just like that, the Gary Sanchez era with the Mets is (probably) over.

New York activated Tomas Nido from the injured list prior to Thursday’s series finale against the Chicago Cubs. That obviously meant someone currently on the roster had to get the axe. And since Francisco Alvarez isn’t going anywhere, Sanchez was designated for assignment.

New York technically has a week to trade, release, or send Sanchez back to Triple-A. He can refuse a minor-league assignment. And let’s be honest, he all but likely will. I also can’t imagine anyone actually trading for Sanchez when they can just pick him up off the scrap heap once the Mets release him.

Sanchez’s Mets career spanned a total of 11 games. Eight of them were with Triple-A Syracuse, where he earned his recent promotion back to the big leagues. But his three games with New York clearly didn’t impress anyone. The veteran backstop slashed .143/.167/.143 in seven plate appearances. This production included a single, a walk, and an RBI.

Assuming New York releases him, it was still a lucrative endeavor for Sanchez. Here’s what MLB Trade Rumors had to say about the right-handed hitter’s contract with the Mets:

The Mets will now have a week to trade Sánchez or pass him through waivers. The deal they signed him to came with a prorated $1.5MM salary for the year, which amounts to about $1.1MM from his selection to the end of the season. They could try to eat some of that in order to facilitate a trade but he will most likely end up released, with the Mets still on the hook for that money. If that comes to pass, any of the 29 other clubs would be free to sign him and pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the active roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Mets pay.

New York may not be on the hook for all of this money if Sanchez catches on with another club. But based on how things have gone for him this year, the odds of that happening aren’t great.

Of course, this is pennies for team owner Steve Cohen. If the Wilpons were still running the show, Alvarez would’ve been sent back down to the minors. At least we don’t have to worry about that stuff happening anymore, right?

You can reach Matt Musico at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

Matt Musico is an editor for ESNY. He’s been writing about baseball and the Mets for the past decade. His work has been featured on numberFire, MetsMerized Online, Bleacher Report, and Yahoo! Sports.