Mets Sign ex-Yankees All-Star to Minor League Deal

The Mets have signed this ex-Yankees All-Star to a minor league deal.
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He's back in town - well, in the organization at least.

On Tuesday, the Mets signed ex-Yankees All-Star catcher Gary Sanchez to a minor league deal.

But instead of reporting to the Mets, Sanchez will head to Triple-A Syracuse. 

Sanchez, 30, opted out of his minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants on May 2 to become a free agent again.

In 16 minor league games this season, Sanchez couldn't put it together, slashing .164/.319/.182 with no home runs and eight RBIs. 

Sanchez was a two-time All-Star and one of the best hitting catchers in baseball from 2016-2019 with the Yankees.

However, he endured two poor offensive seasons in a row and was a liability defensively behind the plate. This led to the Yankees' decision to trade him and Gio Urshela to the Minnesota Twins for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt in the 2022 offseason. 

With Sanchez now in the Mets organization, he will serve as catching depth behind Francisco Alvarez and Tomas Nido, who are the duo at the big-league level. Once Omar Narvaez returns from the IL, Sanchez will likely be the fourth option on the Mets' catching depth chart. 

The hope is that Sanchez can find his footing in Triple-A, considering he did not go through Spring Training this year since he was unsigned until March 31 when the regular season began.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.