Gary Sanchez signs with Mets in latest MLB chance
CINCINNATI — Gary Sanchez has a history with Mets general manager Billy Eppler from their shared time with the Yankees, which in part explains the veteran catcher getting another shot in New York.
On Tuesday, the Mets signed Sanchez to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse, in a low-risk move intended to bolster the organization’s catching depth.
Sanchez, 30, opted out of his contract with the Giants last week after he wasn’t promoted to the major league roster.
He will receive $1.5 million if he plays in the major leagues with the Mets. The deal also includes $1.2 million in incentives.
“We know the background of Gary and what he’s capable of doing,” manager Buck Showalter said before the Mets lost 7-6 to the Reds. “He is getting an opportunity in Syracuse with our guys and we’ll see where it takes us.
“He’s got power and a big arm. It’s been a long time since I have seen him and we’ll see.”
Francisco Alvarez and Tomas Nido are the catchers on the Mets major league roster, with Omar Narvaez on the injured list (he’s not expected back before June) with a left calf strain. The Mets’ catching depth other than Sanchez includes Michael Perez at Syracuse and Hayden Senger at Double-A Binghamton.
Sanchez spent seven seasons with the Yankees, beginning in 2015, before playing for the Twins last year, when he posted a slash line of .205/.282/.377 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 128 games.
The rookie Alvarez has seen his playing time steadily increase since he was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse a week into the season.
Alvarez has shown improvement at the plate after a slow start. He entered Tuesday with an .804 OPS in May and went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs against the Reds.
“If you look at the experience level and the way he’s handled everything, if you look at some of the metrics of him catching, he’s doing real well and we’re proud of him,” Showalter said of Alvarez. “He’s grasping a lot of the things other than attempting to hit. I still think he’s got a chance to be a force offensively as his career goes forward, but I am really happy with his catching.”
Nido remains skilled in his framing, but offensively hasn’t brought anything to the lineup.
He entered play with a slah line of .118/.148/.118 and one RBI in 51 at-bats.
“He’s capable of better,” Showalter said of Nido. “He had a really good offseason and started off really well in the spring, but it just hasn’t carried over into the games. I know that has been frustrating for him. He is better than that.”
The Mets will play two games in London against the Phillies in June next season, according to a source.
It will be the Mets’ first time playing outside the U.S. or Canada since 2010, when they faced the Marlins in Puerto Rico.
The Mets were scheduled for a return to Puerto Rico in 2020, but those games were erased by the pandemic.