Gary Sanchez is only costing the Padres $1.5 million this season, a small price to pay considering the sky-high salaries of many of San Diego's superstars.
In 71 games, the Padres catcher has hit 19 home runs, sixth-most among MLB catchers this season, with a .784 OPS. His chemistry with the starting rotation is well-documented.
“Me and (Gary) Sanchez, we didn’t go over our game plan,” Lugo said after Sanchez subbed in for an injured Luis Campusano. “Me and Campusano did. But Sanchez got back there and, without talking to him, called the pitch I wanted. So I told him good job staying locked in."
Sanchez said that he has been working for each of the eight seasons he has spent in the major leagues to improve defensively.
“There are always going to analysts who say you’re not good defensively,” Sanchez said. “But that’s something I pride myself in, working every single year, getting myself better in those situations. The most important thing is that the team knows it, I know it, the coaches know it.“… Every single year, I know I’ve gotten better.”
The Padres know what they have in Sanchez, who is set to become a free agent next season. Letting Sanchez walk could feel like a mistake, but overpaying him for an above-average season could also come back to bite the Padres.
Sanchez, however, knows where he wants to be next season.
“I like the chemistry with my teammates and coaches,” Sanchez said. “Everything’s worked out. Ultimately, this is baseball. It’s a business. I can never tell what a general manager is thinking. ... I'd like to be here. It's in somebody else's hands."
The Padres, who are in the middle of a scramble for a spot in the NL Wild Card, will continue to evaluate just what to do with a free agent who outperformed expectations this season.
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