The White Sox have signed second baseman Yolmer Sanchez to a minor league contract, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter). After being released by the Giants earlier this week, Sanchez returns to the only other organization he has ever known over his 12 professional seasons.
Sanchez went from part-timer to everyday player over six MLB seasons with the White Sox from 2014-19, hitting .244/.299/.357 over 2438 plate appearances but being far more well-regarded for his defense. Sanchez spent significant time at third base and even a few games at shortstop and right field, though he is best known for the +10 Defensive Runs Saved and +6.3 UZR/150 posted over 3464 career innings at second base. This glovework culminated in Sanchez winning a Gold Glove just last season.
With Nick Madrigal looming in the minors and Sanchez projected for a $6.2MM arbitration salary, however, Chicago opted to non-tender Sanchez last winter. He caught on with the Giants on a minor league pact, though Donovan Solano’s emergence and San Francisco’s signing of Wilmer Flores left Sanchez without a clear path to making the big league roster.
The White Sox, however, now find themselves in need of some infield depth with Madrigal on the injured list for at least a few more days and Leury Garcia done for at least the regular season after undergoing thumb surgery. Danny Mendick has been taking most of the everyday at-bats at second base recently, and Sanchez could potentially replace another glove-first infielder in Ryan Goins on Chicago’s active roster.
If he can win a Gold Glove last year, why can’t he win another one this year? Nice signing.
Well, he will need playing time but Welcome Back Yolmer!
Mendick been doing a fine job, too!
Goins may be “goin”…
@ChiSox_Fan
I’m sure Goins will be gone (back to Schaumburg, of course), as Yolmer is a major upgrade. Though, that assumes Yolmer this year is the same Yolmer as last year. If he’s very rusty and looks horrible at Schaumburg, then obviously that changes things.
Of course none of this may matter, since I think Madrigal’s pretty close to coming back. Goins was probably “goin” anyway.
Nice play on words BTW.
the timeline has been corrected
The darkest timeline
Can he play right field cause this mazara experiment may be ready to pull the plug.
Lol, I remember Sox fans saying that they were going to tap into Mazara’s potential and turn him into a superstar. Now after a month you want the misery to end. Try watching him for 3 years and saying “Well, maybe this is the year.”, and having nothing come of it besides tons of RBI’s. Now at least other teams can feel our pain.
A Rangers fan talking trash with -45 run differential. No one thought Mazara would be a superstar… many of us hoped he would be at 25 HR/year guy who hits .275… still possible.
I was not among those fans. I thought it was a bad idea at the time and Mazara’s proven me right. Still don’t understand why, if they were willing to put up with subpar defense, they didn’t sign Castellanos. I didn’t know he’d be *this* good, but even when I thought he’d be a little worse than last year, I was hoping the Sox would go after him.
The only caveat to this is that Mazara, while not Engel or Robert, is a better defender than Castellanos, who is brutal no matter where he plays.
You didn’t have to put up with this as a Rangers fan. He has been much worse to start the year than he has ever been at the major league level. Hopefully it’s just a slow start and he ends up putting up similar numbers to what he has done for his career; it’d be a major improvement over what they are currently getting.
Mazara was very consistent with the Rangers. Not great, but 20 homers, .260 average, 75 rbi’s were his 4 year averages. That’s a lot better than what the Sox have had in right field for several years, and is way better than what he is doing so far this year.
They seem to be platooning him a lot which probably does not help him, and it’s been a weird year with almost no spring training. He was looking pretty good back in March. Encarnacion a much bigger disappointment if you asked me, he has played in a lot more games.
I would look to upgrade RF this offseason if possible, but not without getting another starting pitcher first. Their 4 and 5 starters very shaky, and that is much more of a weakness than lack of offense out of right field. I think Mazara likely to start to hit pretty soon, if he plays every day. I say bring up Yermin to replace Encarnacion, just to see if Yermin can handle DH well enough to earn the position for next year.
jeez, the guy just turned 25 and has only gotten a few dozen at bats this year. give the guy some time.
Nope, doesn’t work like that with someone who’s been in the league as long as Mazara has.
The Sox need to end the experimentation and spend some more money on an everyday RF who can hit this offseason. Then they’ll be set to terrorize the league and bring home a couple rings.
Lol, lol, lol ….. did you actually write, ‘spend some money’, and you used those words in connection to Jerry Reinsdorf?
@Dogbone
Right, since Reinsdorf didn’t spend any money this past offseason. Well, besides Grandal, Abreu, EE, Keuchel and the extensions to Robert and Moncada. If you don’t count all that, then sure, you have a great point.
Except it kind of does work that way in this weird season…
Bell, Devers, Eaton, Mondessi, Ohtani, Altuve, Torres, Pham, Robles
Know what they all have in common? They all have negative fWAR to start the season. You willing to give up on them too?
The Sox have multiple candidates in their minor league system for the right field spot along with almost a glut of young and talented pitchers who could be traded to fill the position . There’s no pressing need to fill the spot with a free agent, the window for being a serious contender will be open for a lengthy period for this team..
Dogboner is a closet Sox fan. He obviously pays attention to them quite a bit and obsesses over them on every post about them.
Having said that, glad to have Yolmer back. As far as Mazara goes, I’m trying to be patient but I don’t think Avi Garcia was this bad.
Mazara has never produced behind the plate. No amount of waiting will change that. The Sox need to make a move in the offseason in anticipation of contending for a championship (or two).
Mazara was a bad acquisition. They pretty much added LH Avi Garcia, at the expense of an ok prospect. Another bad Hahn move.
Even his minor league stats fail to promise enough success with the bat to justify that glove
@DarkSide830
Exactly. Not everyone starts their season red hot. Not saying he will be a beast by season’s end, but it’s a little quick to already give him the hook.
Engel a better alternative for RF
ChiSox_Fan
I agree.
Another factor might be Moncada’s health. He has looked slightly gimpy for a stretch lately and may be headed for an IL stint. Sanchez played 3B for the White Sox most of 2018, and he can fill in there if Moncada does go on the IL.
Good observation. Moncada hasn’t looked comfortable at the plate, which sux cuz he’s always on the IL.
He is still getting over “the RONA”!
Give him time.
Not sure what The issue is with tired legs all of the time.
It looks like he’s got a groin and a hip issue. I think it would be wise to to put him on the DL. He won’t get better if he keeps playing.
Moncada definitely needs some time off. Hopefully Madrigal is back after this series and they can just slide Mendick to 3B for a bit.
So you’ve returned…
Hopefully this means we have seen the last of goins! Yolmer is a great bench piece
Goins did a good job when he played last year and showed he Is a heady ballplayer. . He wont hurt you..
goins did a good job when he played last year and showed hes a heady ballplayer. . he wont hurt you.
Happy to see Yolmer back, in a minor role. Good dude and great defender.
People forget he was a three win player two seasons ago. I wish the team would have found a way to keep him in offseason, but glad he is back. Hopefully they retain him for next season as well.
The issue is his contract, not his ability.
welcome home Kid
Hahn’s league
@pinstripes
I don’t get it. Explain.
I don’t necessarily see the point if Madrigal is back in a few days, but it’s a low-cost move and they’re getting at least an excellent defender. Any offense he may provide is just gravy. Plus, from what I’ve read, he’s a great clubhouse guy.
You don’t see the point in adding depth on a minor league contract? It moves Goins back to ~6th infielder (not including 1B). That’s the point.
Yolmer!
Yolmer has not had an at bat with the Giants, I saw he has had some back issues. I don’t know how many games he will need in Schaumburg to get ready, but Madrigal likely to be back before that. So while this move would have been ok a couple weeks ago if Sanchez was ready to play right away, it probably does not mean much at this point.
@jhomeslice
I agree, the timing would’ve been much better 2 or 3 weeks ago. He might make it up in Sept anyway, which leads me to a question:
Are the rosters going to increase at all in Sept or is it 28 the rest of the way?
If it does increase, there’s obviously a better chance he’s up in Sept. I thought I read somewhere it stays the same the rest of the season, but I thought I saw it when it was still going to be 26 by this time.
I cannot find anywhere, but know that I had read that for the first time in league history, rosters will not expand in September. But just because I recall reading it, does not mean that I recall correctly, or that what I read was reliable.
But I am guessing no roster expanding due to COVID.
Yes! Love Yolmer!