Gary Sanchez remains a free agent, but the former Yankees catcher still has an admirer in the New York dugout.
Yankees starter Luis Severino spoke glowingly of his former battery mate after news of Sanchez agreeing to a deal with the Dominican Winter League team Leones del Escogido came to light Tuesday.
“I loved pitching to him,” Severino said after throwing four innings during the Yankees’ 6-3 win over the Tigers, according to NJ Advance Media. “… It’s not easy to catch in New York because there are a lot of people that are going to criticize. You have to be good all the time.”
The 30-year-old two-time All-Star has yet to find a new squad after hitting .205 with 16 home runs in 128 games with the Minnesota Twins following a trade from the Yankees before the season.
Sanchez had been linked to the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants this offseason but failed to come to a deal with either club.
Even so, Severino said Sanchez will catch on somewhere.
“I think Gary will sign with somebody,” Severino said. “He’s been waiting to see the best option … I still think Gary can be really good. I know he’s been struggling with his bat the last couple [of] years, but maybe he wasn’t 100 percent or feeling something. I know he can contribute to a team.”
Sanchez hasn’t been the same hitter since his first few years in New York.
In 294 games since 2020, Sanchez has hit .195 with 49 home runs and a .681 OPS.
From 2015-19, Sanchez hit 105 home runs and posted a .846 OPS.
In December 2022, Sanchez’s agent, Francisco Marquez, blamed the Yankees for “emotional baggage” during his time with the team.
