The Mariners and first baseman Gaby Sanchez are in agreement on a minor league contract, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The Beverly Hills Sports Council client will receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training as well, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.
Sanchez, 32, spent the 2015 season with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he batted .226/.328/.392 in 232 plate appearances. The former Marlins/Pirates first baseman last appeared in the Majors in 2014, though he struggled at the plate with Pittsburgh that season. Overall, the right-handed hitting Sanchez is a career .254/.332/.413 hitter in 2271 big league plate appearances. He’ll likely compete for a spot as the right-handed half of a platoon at first base alongside Adam Lind, and his career .291/.382/.481 batting line against left-handed pitching suggests that he’s capable of filling that role if he beats out the competition in Spring Training. Jesus Montero is the favorite to land that spot right now.
Well.. If a tussle on the field ever breaks out? Gaby’s huge arms are the guy to drop a clothesline on anybody close enough to him. Just ask Nyjer Morgan, A very deserving victim of his few years back whom he so funnily dropped.
Other than that? 2 nice seasons with the Fish, patient approach at the plate, then it all seemed to go wrong. Always better vs lefties and a decent guy with the glove, tho not great.
If he’s used right, this could be a pretty good pick up for the M’s. Hits Left handers very well and has more experience at first than Montero. Montero by the way is out of options. He either makes the them or they have to DFA him. A minor league deal with Sanchez gives the M’s depth in case Montero doesn’t hit.
The M’s have Ed Lucas who can cover 1B and other positions as well. This has to be strictly 1B/DH depth for the AAA club in Tacoma.
I have the feeling Montero gets traded and Stephen Romero will be the kid to cover RH 1B platoon. He can also play some OF even CF in a pinch. Platooning at 1B means the M’s need one of those guys capable of playing other positions like Lucas or Romero.
I like Romero a lot, a few years ago when he mashed in spring training he should not have made the team that year, I think that really messed up his swing