BALTIMORE — After playing 10 seasons in the Major Leagues, Gary S\u00e1nchez has developed a lot of connections around baseball. The 32-year-old is already well traveled, having suited up for five organizations during his MLB career.<\/p>\n
So when S\u00e1nchez was presented with an opportunity to sign with the Orioles this offseason, he reached out to a peer for insight — Baltimore infielder\/outfielder Jorge Mateo.<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez and Mateo both came up through the Yankees\u2019 system, with their Minor League tenures overlapping from 2012-16. They were also teammates while playing for Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League during the 2020-21 season.<\/p>\n
What did Mateo have to tell S\u00e1nchez about the O\u2019s?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHe just told me, \u2018Man, there\u2019s a lot of great people here. A lot of great teammates. We have a really good manager [Brandon Hyde],\u2019\u201d S\u00e1nchez said via Orioles team interpreter Brandon Quinones. \u201c\u2018It\u2019s an exciting time, and we have a lot of great chemistry here.\u2019 So I thought that was obviously great to hear.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It was also all that S\u00e1nchez needed to hear. The veteran backstop signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal with Baltimore last Tuesday, and he was introduced to the local media during a Zoom press conference a week later, getting a chance to express his excitement to join the O\u2019s.<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez will be taking over the backup catcher role that was previously held by James McCann (now a free agent) the past two years.<\/p>\n It should provide S\u00e1nchez with an opportunity to catch more than he did last season in Milwaukee, where he was only behind the plate for 234 2\/3 innings over 28 games while serving as the backup to William Contreras.<\/p>\n Most of S\u00e1nchez\u2019s playing time with the Brewers came as a designated hitter. His right-handed bat may not be as productive as it was early in his career — he was a two-time All-Star during his seven-year stint with the Yankees from 2015-21 — but it still has some pop. S\u00e1nchez hit 19 homers in 72 games with the Padres in \u201823, then 11 in 89 games for the Crew in \u201824.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n S\u00e1nchez, who also has a little bit of experience at first base, will be ready to do whatever the Orioles ask of him in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the manager\u2019s decision, and I leave it up to him,\u201d S\u00e1nchez said. \u201cIf they want me to be the designated hitter, I\u2019ll be more than happy to do that. If they want me to catch, I\u2019ll do that as well. Even if they want to put me at first base, I\u2019ll be more than happy to do that as well. So whatever helps the team win.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n S\u00e1nchez hasn\u2019t made more than 58 starts at catcher in a season since 2022, when he had 80 for the Twins.<\/p>\n McCann made 54 starts for the O\u2019s in \u201823 and 63 in \u201824, so S\u00e1nchez can likely expect a similar workload, as general manager Mike Elias indicated during the Winter Meetings that starting catcher Adley Rutschman would keep a similar schedule next year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Rutschman, who has already earned two All-Star nods in his three-year MLB career, has emerged as one of baseball\u2019s top catchers in recent seasons. S\u00e1nchez doesn\u2019t yet have a relationship with the 26-year-old, but he\u2019s looking forward to forming one in the spring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI think it’ll be a lot of fun, and I think I can really learn from him,\u201d S\u00e1nchez said. \u201cJust because someone spends a lot of time in the Major Leagues doesn’t mean that you can stop learning. So I’m looking forward to learning from him, and I’m looking forward to him learning from me as well and us working with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n