Sunday Night Blockbuster

After waiting for Yankees GM to pull off a move, fans got their wish late Sunday night. Catcher Gary Sanchez's up and down tenure in pinstripes ended, when he and infield Gio Urshela were sent to the Twins in a package headlined by Josh Donaldson.

A slugging 3rd baseman with a better-than-average glove, Donaldson has starred for the A's, Braves, Blue Jays and Twins -- but is now 36 and has battled injuries of late. There's also a fascinating subplot, as Donaldson publicly called out New York ace Gerrit Cole after the mid-season crackdown on pitcher use of "sticky stuff." Also included in the deal, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, in whom the Yankees showed interest before the lockout before he was sent from Texas to Minnesota on Saturday. Hours later, he's recast as a stopgap while top prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza get more time to develop in the minors.

Sanchez's unsolved issues, as both a hitter and catcher, overwhelmed his still impressive power. A year away from free agency, Gary now gets the chance to rebuild his reputation away from the glare of New York fans and media, while the Yankees pair organizational favorite Kyle Higashioka with the other player in the package, Ben Rortvedt. The Wisconsin native is a defense-first catcher who bats lefty, but didn't hit much as a 2021 rookie.

Urshela was the Yankees "find" of 2019 when he hit far beyond expectations and dazzled at the hot corner. Injuries last season reduced his impact, and even a last few weeks move to shortstop didn't erase the notion that his best baseball days were behind him.

Yankee fans wanted changes, and they got what they asked for: two, and possibly three new everyday players -- and the exile of the Baby Bomber who couldn't live up to the promise he showed in his first couple of major league seasons.

Does this keep the Yankees ahead of the Blue Jays and close the gap with the Red Sox and Rays? Stay tuned.
 

Comments

transatlantic7 said…
If this play upgrades the Yankees, it does so only marginally. Whatever ails the current Yankees, it wasn't the catcher's play that dragged them down. They have a lot of high priced players who do not produce high priced ball last year...
March 14, 2022 at 11:15 AM
Unknown said…
I wish they would not have used the phrase what Yankee fans wanted. I am a fan and am not impressed with the choices they made in this deal. What next? Trade away Judge and Stanton?
March 15, 2022 at 4:23 PM
A Katz said…
As the Yankees are ion a 10 game winning streak. The changes they made
Seem to be working
May 3, 2022 at 12:00 PM
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