The New York Yankees decided to tender Gary Sanchez a contract before Wednesday’s deadline. The former All-Star catcher will earn around $5 million as an arbitration-eligible player, but he will have to improve on his 69 wRC+ and 36 percent strikeout rate if he wants to be considered as the starter going forward.
Last season, his struggles were so bad that Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone decided to bench him in favor of Kyle Higashioka, a 55 wRC+ batter. Higgy’s defense and blocking ability are superior to Sanchez’s.
However, Sanchez appears to have a future with the New York Yankees.