Inside The Pinstripes

Twins' Gary Sánchez Reveals Hardest Part of Being Traded By Yankees

Sánchez spoke about the trade on Tuesday afternoon, a deal with Minnesota that suddenly ended Yankees career in March.

Max Goodman

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MINNEAPOLIS — Gary Sánchez is off to a solid start with his new team, playing well over his first few months in a Twins uniform.

That doesn't mean the former Yankees catcher didn't face challenges this spring, suiting up for a new organization for the first time in his professional baseball career.

Ahead of Tuesday's Yankees-Twins game at Target Field in Minnesota, Sánchez's first opportunity to face his former team, the backstop was asked about the deal that sent him from New York to Minnesota on March 13 and what the hardest part of the trade was.

"I think the most difficult thing was adjusting to new faces and at the same time, leaving old friends behind, starting a new chapter in my career," Sánchez said through Minnesota's interpreter. 

That said, Sánchez explained that he was able to settle into his new situation quickly thanks to how welcoming the Twins organization was.

"I knew a lot of people in this clubhouse as well that I've played with and met before," Sánchez added. "So that was really comforting."

Sánchez's tenure in New York had plenty of ups and downs. What started with historic offensive production ended with persisting woes on defense, along with a steep regression in the batter's box (and plenty of criticism off the field).

Entering play on Tuesday, over his first 43 games with the Twins, Sánchez is hitting .229/.289/.446 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. Behind the plate, he's taken strides forward, posting league-average numbers in framing. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone reiterated that Sánchez always worked hard when he donned pinstripes, remaining a quality teammate behind the scenes no matter what was going on between the lines.

"He's a really talented guy," Boone said before Tuesday's game. "Maybe the change of scenery helps him a little bit, but that's not to say that staying here, he wouldn't have put up a huge year either."

Sánchez said he's been following his former club—a team with the best record in baseball—and that he'll always be thankful for the opportunity New York gave him when he was signed back in 2009.

"I had a couple bad years and that's about it," he said. "I got traded and now, I'm getting better and moving forward ... I'm a Twin. Turned the page."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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