Not long after signing veteran catcher Gary Sánchez to a minor-league contract, the New York Mets called up the former Yankee, the team announced Friday. Fellow backstop Michael Perez was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Sánchez, 30, had opted his out of minor-league pact with the Giants and thus became a free agent, which led to his pairing with the Mets earlier this month.
Sánchez had a Friday opt-out in his deal with the Mets, and that likely prompted the club to decide on a promotion. While Sánchez's overall performance this season in 23 Triple-A games is disappointing (.672 OPS), he's put up big numbers since joining the Mets. In seven games with Triple-A Syracuse, Sánchez owns a slash line of .318/.531/.546 with a home run, two doubles, and eight walks.
Sánchez is quite a ways from his peak years with the Yankees. From 2016-19, he made a pair of All-Star Game appearances and compiled a 122 OPS+ and 105 home runs in 370 games. He's since suffered steep and premature decline with an OPS+ of 89 the last three-plus seasons.
As for the Mets, they're employing a tandem at catcher consisting of rookie Francisco Álvarez and veteran Tomás Nido, who will begin a rehab assignment in Single-A after being treated for dry eye syndrome. While Álvarez has significant long-term promise, they've struggled to get consistent production from the position in 2023.
Adding to the concerns is that the Mets are without free-agent signing Omar Narváez, who strained his calf early in the season. He's still weeks away from a potential return.
