It started with great fanfare, had plenty of ups (and quite a few downs), but Gary Sanchez’s New York era ended on Sunday when the Yankees traded their two-time All-Star catcher for the Minnesota Twins.
In the deal, announced by both teams, the Yankees sent Sanchez and his quarterback Gio Orchila to Minnesota for third baseman Josh Donaldson, shortstop Isiah Keener-Valiva and catcher Ben Roertvedt.
With Sanchez, 29, the promise of his early time in striped stripes has become a somewhat distant memory. He’s reached .283 on a percentage basis and 53 players in his first 177 games for the team, but he’s only hit 0.10 over the past four seasons, bottoming out an average of .147 in the shortened 2020 season for the pandemic. . He’s also struggled with passing balls behind the board for most of his career.
The deal significantly reshapes the left side of the Yankees Stadium, with 2015 MLS Player of the Year Donaldson taking third, and defensive player Kenner Valiva quickly taking over.
Donaldson, 36, has slowed down from some defensively over the past few years, but had a solid offensive season in 2021, hitting .247 by 0.32 on base and 26 home runs. Kiner-Falefa, who turns 27 later this month, is a dramatic defense upgrade over other Yankees options and has had time as the catcher, second base, short base and third base in his career. He only has 0.316 careers on a percentage basis, but he makes a solid connection and has the speed to steal the bases.
Rortvedt, 24, was first called up in 2021 and struggled with the lead. He is a .241 minors career hitter and was a second-round pick in 2016.
While Kiner-Falefa and Rortvedt are low-cost options, Donaldson owes more than $43.5 million over the next two seasons and has a $16 million team option in 2024 with an $8 million buyout deal. He also has some history with Gerrit Cole after that Ace Yankees accused of rigging baseballs to enhance its performance.
Orchila, 30 years old, Exceeded all expectations In New York, he hit .292 with 41 home runs over the course of three seasons while at times providing amazing defense at third base.
