Prior to tonight’s game with the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees announced that they’ve optioned catcher Gary Sanchez to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Sanchez went 1-for-21 this spring while competing for the backup catching job.
ROSTER MOVE: Prior to tonight’s game, the @Yankees optioned C Gary Sanchez to Triple-A Scranton/WB and reassigned him to minor league camp.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) March 24, 2016
The competition is now between Austin Romine and Carlos Corporan, although it seems like Romine has the upper-hand. Entering today, Romine is hitting .273 with four RBI in 12 games compared to Corporan’s .158 average.
Romine is also out of minor league options, and unlike last spring, he has the right to refuse an outright assignment. The Yankees most likely would lose him completely if they decide not to bring him north at the end of spring training.
Sanchez is considered by many to be the best catching prospect in all of baseball. The 23-year-old hit .274/.330/.485 with 18 homers and 62 RBI last year between Trenton and Scranton. He was called up to the big leagues in September for a cup of coffee and had just two at-bats.
While it may have been Sanchez’s job to lose – and it appears he’s lost it – we should see him in the Bronx at some point in 2016.
