Ali Sanchez

New York Mets: Ali Sanchez Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals

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Ali Sanchez quickly found a new home after the New York Mets designated him for assignment on Thursday. The Mets shipped Sanchez to the St. Louis Cardinals for cash considerations. Yadier Molina is on top of the depth chart, but Sanchez will battle Ivan Herrera and Andrew Knizner for the backup role.

Sanchez joined the organization as a 16-year old international free agent in 2013. He is known for his defensive presence but does not provide any offensive production. Injuries to Rene Rivera and Tomas Nido forced Sanchez to the big leagues in 2020 after six years in the minors.

Sanchez struggled on both sides of the ball in his five big league games. He recorded one hit in nine at-bats and was part of numerous defensive lapses. One of them resulted in Jon Berti stealing three bases in one inning. Sanchez has thrown out 46% of stolen base attempts in the minors but was 0-for-3 with two wild pitches and a passed ball last season.

James McCann, Tomas Nido, and Patrick Mazeika are the only catchers on the Mets 40-man roster. Bruce Maxwell and David Rodriguez are non-roster invites who will also join them in spring training.

New York Mets: What the Bench Looks Like After Villar Addition

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After signing Jonathan Villar on Monday, the New York Mets have their best group of bench players in years. Each player has multiple years of experience as starting players, strengthening the competition between each player to earn a roster spot. Here is a look at the bench options on the current 40-man roster.

Catcher: Tomas Nido, Ali Sanchez, Patrick Mazieka

Tomas Nido has the clear upper hand over Ali Sanchez and Patrick Mazeika for the back-up catcher job. Nido is only a .197 career hitter, but his defense is his calling card. He puts up strike rates above 60% on both sides of the plate since 2018. In his seven games during 2020, he was 7-for-24 with two home runs and six runs batted in.

Sanchez looked overmatched in his five games last season. He recorded one hit in nine at-bats and made numerous mental errors on defense. Mazeika made it to the big league roster but never played in 2020.

Infielders: Luis Guillorme, Jonathan Villar, Jose Martinez

Luis Guillorme, Jonathan Villar, and Jose Martinez all specialize in different facets of the game. Guillorme is defense, Villar is speed, and Martinez is power. Guillorme had an incredible offensive year to support his outstanding defense. Guillorme slashed .333/.426/.439 over 29 games with 2 outs above average on defense. He seems like a lock to make the opening day roster.

Villar should make the roster due to his speed and ability to play the infield and outfield. His defensive numbers are poor during the last two seasons, but his speed is legit. Villar led baseball with 62 stolen bases in 2019 and finished second with 16 in 2020. His bat is very streaky, but as a switch hitter with speed, it should be enough for him to make the team.

Martinez is a big wild card due to his defensive struggles. He has a .289 career batting average but -24 defensive runs saved in his career. He brings tremendous value as a pinch hitter with a .306 average and a .534 slugging percentage against left-handed pitching.

Outfield: Albert Almora Jr, Guillermo Heredia

Albert Almora Jr. and Guillermo Heredia is the most balanced battle in camp. Almora is coming off two subpar seasons with the bat but is still regarded as a strong defender. Heredia has similar stats over the last two seasons, but the Mets got to watch him play at the end of 2020. Both will play great defense in spring training, but Almora’s experience playing every day should give him the edge.

New York Mets Player Evaluations: Catcher Ali Sanchez

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The New York Mets were in desperate need of catching depth when they called upon Ali Sanchez as the last option before acquiring Robinson Chirinos. Sanchez struggled mightily and showed he still needed some more work before becoming a capable backup catcher at the big league level.

Sanchez made his MLB debut during a blowout loss to the Washington Nationals on August 10 but did not see action again until the end of the month. He returned on August 25 and had a real opportunity to secure a backup role. Tomas Nido and Rene Rivera were both out due to their respective injuries, and Wilson Ramos was the only big-league caliber catcher on the roster.

Rookie Mistakes

In his first major league start, Jon Berti made a mockery of Sanchez behind the plate. Sanchez fumbled the ball on a throw to second, and then a sleepy defense allowed a delayed steal of third. Finally, Berti stole home after Sanchez lobbed the ball back to the pitcher. It was a rough showing on defense and a passed ball and two wild pitches in five games.

As Sanchez rose through the minors, his bat lagged behind his good defense. He only had one hit in nine at-bats and looked a step behind at the plate. The one facet of his game that showed promise was his pitch framing. Sanchez had a 51.4% strike rate and succeeded the most on pitches on the zone’s left and right edges. On the inside corner to righties, he was at 69.6%, and on the outside, he had a 68.8% strike rate.

Sanchez’s short tenure ended on September 1, shortly after the Mets acquired Chirinos from the Texas Rangers. With Tomas Nido and Patrick Mazieka joining Sanchez as the only catchers on the current 40-man roster, he falls into three or four on the catching depth chart, assuming the Mets bring in another catcher.

2020 Grades On 20-80 Scale (2021 Projection)

Hitting: 20 (25), .259 career hitter in the minors.

Power: 20 (20), 11 homers, and a .331 slugging percentage over six minor league seasons.

Run: 30 (30), Average speed for a catcher.

Arm: 55 (60)

Defense: 60 (65), Improvement to his blocking could move him into an elite defender.

Overall: 30 (35), Sanchez is heading into his age-24 season and has the tools to contribute at the big-league level. Just a matter of when he can put it all together.

New York Mets Send Three Players To Syracuse

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New York Mets, Andres Gimenez

Despite Spring Training coming to a quick end, the New York Mets are making roster cuts to prepare for the season to resume eventually. The moves were not a surprise as all three were likely going to start the season at triple-A.

The three players sent down were Andres Gimenez, Tyler Bashlor, and Ali Sanchez. Gimenez started Spring strong but faltered towards the end. He slashed .214/.290/.393 over 14 games and showcased his defensive prowess at shortstop. Though he was not hitting for average, the increased power was an encouraging sign.

Bashlor’s Home Run Issues

Bashlor still could not contain the hone run and the big innings, which hurt his 2019 campaign. Over 4.2 innings, he allowed six runs, 11 hits, and three home runs. There has always been good stuff in Bashlor’s repertoire, but he can never seem to put it all together.

Sanchez did not receive many at-bats but seemingly had no chance to take the backup catchers job over Tomas Nido or Rene Rivera. Over nine games, he only had eight at-bats and recorded a double as his only hit.