Gary Sanchez made it back to New York on Friday, still trying to resuscitate a career that has been going in the wrong direction for much of the last four years.
The former Yankees catcher, who once seemed destined for greatness, is now with his third franchise since leaving The Bronx and he has been humbled.
“In my time with the Yankees, I wanted to be in the lineup every day,’’ Sanchez said through an interpreter at Citi Field after the Mets called him up from Triple-A Syracuse and activated him to the major league roster. “I just want to contribute any way I can here.”
He chose mostly not to reflect much on his time with the Yankees, including when asked about remarks his former agent Francisco Marquez, made during the offseason to The Athletic.
Marquez told the site: “The most important aspect of the 2022 season was that at the end of the season Gary was able to finally and completely shake off the emotional baggage he had acquired during his previous two seasons with the Yankees. Whoever gets Gary this offseason will benefit from the rebirth of the Kraken.”
Sanchez has since switched agents, hiring Melvin Roman.
Asked about the move, and the notion that his time with the Yankees might have impacted him negatively, Sanchez said: “Some things didn’t go the way they were supposed to, but the past is the past. Players change agents all the time. My focus is on now.”
He wasn’t in the lineup Friday against the Guardians, with manager Buck Showalter opting to let him settle in before getting him in the lineup.
The Mets opted to go to Sanchez with Tomas Nido on the injured list with dry eye syndrome and Omar Narvaez still on the IL with a strained calf.
Francisco Alvarez has emerged as the starter behind the plate.
The Mets optioned catcher Michael Perez to Syracuse to make room for Sanchez.
The 30-year-old Sanchez, who was traded from the Yankees to the Twins in the spring of 2022 and again did not hit well, was not offered a contract by Minnesota after the season.
He signed a minor league deal with the Giants in April, but couldn’t get going offensively at Triple-A Sacramento and requested his release.
Sanchez then signed with the Mets.
“I didn’t have a spring training and didn’t have my timing,” Sanchez said of his time with the Giants, in which he had just a .501 OPS in 69 plate appearances. “When I got to Syracuse, I had the rhythm of the game and get better at-bats.”
In 37 plate appearances with Syracuse, where he played since May 9, Sanchez had a 1.014 OPS.
Nido started a rehab assignment Friday and Narvaez is expected back in 2-3 weeks, so Showalter was asked if Sanchez is auditioning for a job.
“I hope he makes it real hard on us,’’ Showalter said. “He’s getting a chance to play in the big leagues again when it looked like there was a chance that might not happen again. I think he understands what that opportunity is and it’s one he needs to take advantage of. I think that’s something that’s a positive we have going for us. The challenge for me is getting him those opportunities to do that.”
Sanchez is looking forward to that.
“It feels good to be back in New York after all those years with the Yankees,’’ Sanchez said. “As long as I’m healthy, I can do a lot of good things.”
