Yankees: Five questions the team needs to ask themselves, pronto!

Do They Go With Offense Or Defense In The Catching Spot?

In a different world, Joe Girardi would no doubt prefer to write Yadier Molina‘s name in the lineup every day and forget about it. But he can’t, and he knows it.

He has a young 24-year-old catcher in Gary Sanchez, who lit the world of baseball up in September of 2016, was proclaimed to be the Yankees next Captain, and still had time to make sandwiches for the startled customers at a New York Deli over the winter.

There’s just one problem, though. His defense hasn’t added up to its billing, and one could even say it’s regressed over the course of this season. He’s still got the bat with the power, but even that is not matching the prediction of 35 home runs and 100 batted in.

Still, Sanchez remains the Yankees catcher of the future, and because of that, Girardi has bent over backward keeping him in the lineup, even as he continues to learn while making mistakes on the job.

Then you have the more “normal” definition of a catcher in the Major Leagues in Austin Romine, an excellent defender with no hitting abilities to speak about. In essence, you have Joe Girardi himself, who made a career of being exactly that.

So, which way do the Yankees go, especially when the Playoffs roll around? With Romine, you know what you are getting. With Sanchez, not so much.

Girardi has not minced words, either publicly or privately with Sanchez, and his patience seemed to have run out a few days ago when Sanchez was noticeably given a seat on the bench for one game.

Girardi has a bit of time to work this out, and this means Sanchez does too. And he can answer the question for Girardi simply by making the strides necessary behind the plate.

But either way, don’t be surprised to see Romine behind the plate when the playoffs begin. Just a hunch, that’s all.