KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When Gary Sanchez swings in the batting cage, he uses a 34-inch, 32-ounce bat left behind by Carlos Beltran. It leaned against the side of Sanchez’s locker here at Kauffman Stadium before Monday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, Beltran’s meticulous signature branded on the barrel.
As symbols go, the bat was fitting. The Yankees traded Beltran to Texas on Aug. 1, part of a purge of veterans that brought prospects to the farm system and cleared space for rookies in the lineup. Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge hit homers in their first at-bats, but Sanchez has had staying power.