Getty
New York Yankees’ Aaron Boone explained his decision to promote Ali Sánchez
The New York Yankees dropped the first matchup of their three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
The Red Sox walked away with a 5-3 victory at Yankee Stadium.
Now, New York is seeking redemption over their longtime rivals with another game scheduled for Saturday at 7:35 p.m. ET.
Aaron Boone Explains Why Yankees Promoted Ali Sánchez
GettyNew York Yankees’ Aaron Boone explained his reasoning for promoting Ali Sánchez
Ahead of the second Yankees-Red Sox meeting, skipper Aaron Boone sat down with the media to discuss the promotion of 29-year-old catcher Ali Sánchez.
New York will be in the company of Sánchez as he enters the Major Leagues.
According to SNY Yankees on X, Boone explained his reasoning for the promotion.
“It just felt like with our catchers struggling a little bit offensively, obviously, just felt like the opportunity exists for Ali to get up here and give us a different look, and give J.C. a chance to go down there and play a little more regularly,” he stated.
“It just felt like with our catchers struggling a little bit offensively, obviously, just felt like the opportunity exists for Ali to get up here and give us a different look, and give J.C. a chance to go down there and play a little more regularly.”
– Aaron Boone on the Yankees
Heading into this next matchup, the Yankees are second in the American League East with their overall record of 37-26.
The Tampa Bay Rays continue to lead their division at 37-23 overall.
With Sánchez being granted a new opportunity in the big leagues, perhaps his fresh energy can give New York the offensive boost it’s in search of.
With Sánchez having been promoted, the franchise opted to demote J.C. Escarra. He is expected to slide into the backup catcher role behind 26-year-old Austin Wells.
Sánchez comes with a right-handed bat, which should be of use for the Yankees. Of note, both Escarra and Wells are left-handed hitters.
As Boone mentioned, the catchers’ offense hasn’t been promising, so welcoming Sánchez aboard was deemed a necessary shift.
However, anything could happen as this series plays out. Sánchez might end up being the missing piece to the Yankees’ puzzle, or he will flounder at the plate.
Ideally, he will be exactly what the ballclub needs right now.
What Sánchez Brings to the Table
GettyNew York Yankees’ Aaron Boone explains why he promoted Ali Sánchez
Sánchez made his MLB debut in August 2020 with the New York Mets.
Approximately seven months later, he was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals.
From then on, he was shuffled around several organizations, playing brief stints in the big leagues with the Cardinals, Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.
He has not appeared in any MLB games yet this year.
At Triple-A this season, he is slashing .227/.327/.375 with a .702 OPS and six homers through 40 games.
During his brief period in the Majors last year, split between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox, Sánchez owned a slash line of .217/.217/.304 with a .521 OPS and five home runs through 12 game appearances.
Now is his chance to translate his skills onto the big stage once again and prove his value at the plate.
New York is looking for more productivity on offense, and perhaps Sánchez can answer their request.
Maria Aldrich Maria Aldrich is a dedicated sportswriter who focuses on Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. In recent years, she has landed bylines across On SI, part of the Sports Illustrated network, and Last Word On Sports. Outside of writing, Maria hosts the Bleav in Texas Rangers podcast, where she provides baseball fans with the latest news, rumors and analysis. More about Maria Aldrich
