The Milwaukee Brewers have signed catcher Gary Sanchez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to a one-year contract worth $7 million according to Darragh McDonald of mlbtraderumors.com on Wednesday. The Brewers are the fifth Major League Baseball team for Sanchez. He has previously caught seven seasons with the New York Yankees (2015 to 2021), one season with the Minnesota Twins (2022), and shared his time in 2023 with the New York Mets and San Diego Padres.
2023 MLB Statistics with Mets and Padres
Sanchez batted .217 with 19 home runs and 47 runs batted in. During 75 games, 240 at bats, and 267 plate appearances, he scored 33 runs and had 52 hits, nine doubles, 21 walks, 118 total bases, two sacrifice flies. Sanchez had an on base percentage of .288 and a slugging percentage of .492. His two sacrifice flies came in his team’s victories. The first came with the Mets in a 5-4 New York win over the Cleveland Guardians on May 21, and the second came with the Padres in a 9-1 San Diego win over the Toronto Blue Jays on July 18.
The veteran backstopped was not in New York long. In fact, it was only three games and Sanchez had one base hit single in six at bats before being put on designated assignment on May 25. Four days later, on May 29, he was claimed off waivers by the Padres.
Season-Ending Injury
This past season, Sanchez broke his wrist in a 5-1 Padres loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on September 6. He was hit by a pitch off of Phillies pitcher Jeff Hofman.
Frequently under the Mendoza Line
Hitting the baseball with consistency has never been a strength of Sanchez. Twice he has been under the Mendoza Line with the Yankees. In 2018 Sanchez batted .186, and in 2020, he batted .147.
Two-time All-Star
Sanchez was an All-Star with the Yankees in 2017 and 2019. In 2017, he batted .278 with 33 home runs and 90 runs batted in. During 2019, he batted .232 with 34 home runs and 77 runs batted in.
Backing Up William Contreras
It is expected that Sanchez will back up Brewers catcher William Contreras, and when not playing defense, be a designated hitter. Contreras batted .289 with 17 home runs and 78 runs batted in last season in his first season in Milwaukee.
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