As the Los Angeles Angels look to improve their roster, they have shown interest in catcher Gary Sanchez. Sanchez would the Angels with a powerful, yet inconsistent, bat behind the plate.
The Angels’ interest in Gary Sanchez was first reported by MLB insider Hector Gomez. Los Angeles has joined the San Francisco Giants as teams attempting to sign the former New York Yankee.
Sanchez spent last season with the Minnesota Twins, appearing in 128 games. He hit .205 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI.
Prior to his year with the Twins, Sanchez spent seven years as a member of the New York Yankees. He hit .230 with 138 home runs and 340 RBI. Sanchez was voted to the All-Star game twice and won a Silver Slugger during his time in New York.
Power has never been Sanchez’s problem. He has 154 home runs in his career. However, outside of his raw power, Sanchez has struggled in recent years. He struck out 136 times last year and another 121 times in his last year with the Yankees. The Angels know that while signing Sanchez will surely increase their home run numbers, the catcher will still have numerous frustrating at-bats.
Los Angeles might not have a better option at the moment however. Currently, the Angels are projected to have Max Stassi or Logan O’Hoppe behind the plate to start the year. Stassi is a career .212 hitter with just 41 home runs while O’Hoppe has just five games of MLB experience.
As long as the Angels have Mike Trout and Shoehei Ohtani, they will be looking to make a postseason. If Los Angeles were to sign Sanchez, they’ll hope he finds more consistency at the plate while still providing his prodigious power.
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