After waiting a month to make their first free agent signing of the winter, the Orioles took only a couple hours to make their second.
The club signed veteran catcher Gary Sánchez to a one-year, $8.5 million contract Saturday, according to multiple reports. The news comes mere hours after the Orioles agreed to a three-year deal with outfielder Tyler O’Neill. Sánchez, 32, is a two-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger Award winner who has moved into a backup role with various clubs in recent seasons.
The Dominican native hit .220 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 89 games for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, signing a one-year deal with the team after reviving his career with the San Diego Padres in 2023. Sánchez spent the first seven years of his career with the New York Yankees and posted four 20-homer seasons. He was particularly successful against the Orioles, slashing .264/.348/.567 with 22 long balls in 72 games against his former American League East rivals.
Sánchez is expected to take over backup catching duties behind Orioles All-Star Adley Rutschman, replacing the departed James McCann after he filed for free agency this offseason. Rutschman has averaged 151 games played a year over the past two seasons but has logged significant time at designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup. His usage paved the way for McCann to appear in 134 games between 2023 and 2024.
McCann, acquired in a 2022 trade with the New York Mets, hit .228 with 14 home runs in two seasons with the Orioles. Though he never reached the offensive heights of his 2019 All-Star campaign with the Chicago White Sox, he drew praise from teammates and coaches alike for his defense behind the plate, handling of the Orioles’ pitching staff and leadership in the clubhouse.
Sánchez’s best days in the batter’s box might be behind him as well, but he still presents greater offensive upside than McCann while carrying fairly even splits against pitchers from both sides of the mound. He has also become an established veteran in his own right and brings some much-needed playoff experience to Baltimore having appeared in 33 career postseason games.
With the moves for O’Neill and Sánchez, the Orioles addressed their two biggest needs on the offensive side in one December evening. The biggest question remains how they will upgrade their pitching staff, which is in danger of losing All-Star starter Corbin Burnes to free agency.
The New York Post was the first to report the news of Sánchez’s signing.
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