Mets fans gave me a good kick in the butt for a story suggesting they trade for Gary Sanchez. Now I’m wondering, does anyone want him?
Mets fans kicked into high gear yesterday, and it’s continuing today, with resounding No’s! from hundreds of readers reacting to my column suggesting the Mets look into a deal with the Yankees for Gary Sanchez.
I figured that given his age (28 next season), together with still untapped talent and six years of pain and torture with the Yankees, that Sanchez needs a change of scenery that might result in a bolt of lightning in a bottle surprise.
Furthermore, I argued that entering his first year of arbitration, and coming off a 2020 salary of only $5 million earned during a disastrous year of production, Gary Sanchez can be had for a bag of peanuts and a coke from the Yankees with a zero increase in salary for the upcoming season.
Mets fans are buying none of it.
Here’s a sample from Mets fans who are members of the Facebook Shea Faithful group:
The same Mets fans agreed the team needs an upgrade in the catcher’s position, just not Gary Sanchez.
Wilson Ramos spent most of the 2020 season as a disgruntled employee, and his production suffered dearly for it. To be fair, Ramos became torn apart from his family when COVID hit and travel to and from his homeland in Valencia, Venezuela.
Moreover, Mets fans may recall that Ramos himself was the victim of a kidnapping during his time with the Washington Nationals in 2011.
Empathy for Ramos, yes, but the Mets still need a catcher for next year if they don’t re-sign Ramos, a free agent at the end of the World Series.
Mets Fans Take A Liking To James McCann
Other than falling in love with J.T. Realmuto, the Bryce Harper, Manny Machado superstar of the Class of 2021 Free Agent Catchers, the rest of the list is made up mostly of 30+ over the hill performers the Mets, and probably no one else has any use for.
The one name that seemed to pop up a lot is James McCann, who has spent two highly productive years with the Chicago White Sox.
At age 30, McCann’s .995 fielding percentage places him 4th among active catchers, and over the course of his seven big league seasons, McCann has allowed only 27 passed balls. Note: Gary Sanchez had 18 in one year alone in 2017.
Offensively, James McCann has shown continuous improvement, especially over the last two seasons. Rising from a batting average of .220 in 2017, he climbed to .273 in 2019 and .289 this past season.
McCann has some pop, hitting 18 home runs in 2019 and seven in this year’s abbreviated schedule.
Mets fans could be on to something here, and McCann is someone Sandy Alderson should take a look at before entering what promises to be another sweepstake for the services of J.T. Realmuto.
Does Anyone Want Gary Sanchez?
While the Yankees have long been smitten with Gary Sanchez, the chances are unlikely his teammates, although they give him an A for effort, see his usefulness on the team anymore.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone will continue his ever upbeat praise of Sanchez, but at some point, someone in the front office has to step in to separate reality from the mirage.
Faced with Yankees fans’ grim circumstance turning on Sanchez, the Yankees prematurely showed their hand when Boone sat him down for all but one game in the ALDS.
Predictably, Sanchez went 0-4 in that game with three strikeouts and a fielding error.
With Mets fans not wanting anything to do with him and Yankees fans in an uproar, the logical question becomes – does anyone want Gary Sanchez?
Moreover, is there anyone in the Yankees organization who will finally level with us, stopping the six-year foolish charade with this guy?
Author’s Note: Baseball-Reference provides all stats.
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
