Yankees getting calls about the availability of Gary Sanchez

Unless a player has proven more times than not that he is incapable of consistently producing in his current environment (Sonny Gray), you do not trade a former Yankees All-Star coming off of one down-year (Gary Sanchez).

Considering the type of 2017 season Gary Sanchez had, making his first All-Star team, winning a Silver Slugger Award and helping the Yankees reach the ALCS — 2018 can be chalked up as a bust.

With a new manager to lean on in Aaron Boone, Sanchez battled multiple groin injuries to play in a total of only 89 games, slashing a dreadful .186/.291/.406 while striking out 94 times in 323 at-bats.

Naturally, Sanchez’s poor defense, highlighted (or should I say low-lighted) by a league-worst 18 passed balls and 45 wild pitches (16 passed balls and 53 wild pitches the previous year), -6 Rtot and 30 percent caught stealing as compared to 38 percent in 2017, only compound the misery that was Sanchez’s recent campaign.

Brian Cashman recently appeared on The Michael Kay Show to let the world know he’s well aware of Sanchez’s capability and fully expects him to be the club’s everyday catcher moving forward.

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"I’m already getting phone calls to be honest from clubs trying to knock on our door to see if he’s available. And he’s not … He will be our catcher.”"

So why then are general manager’s around baseball calling Cashman about the potential availability of the Yankee backstop?

Perhaps it has something to do with the power Sanchez offers even in a down year. The 25-year-old, who is under contract for another four seasons still hit 18 homers and 53 RBIs while scoring 51 runs and walking 46 times.

In comparison with every other major league catcher — and despite a disappointing season that soured many Yankee fans on The Kraken, Sanchez still ranked seventh-best in home runs, ninth-best in RBIs, sixth in runs scored and seventh in walks.

To further explain why Sanchez is still an intriguing commodity, he isn’t arbitration eligible for another two seasons. Since arriving in New York in August 2016, Sanchez is tied with Yasmani Grandal (another struggling defender) for most home runs by a catcher (58) — and according to Baseball Prospectus, Sanchez is at 10+ runs (DRS) has a pitch framing stat of +11.7 runs, something he doesn’t get enough credit for.

Everyone and their mother knows that Sanchez needs to get at better-blocking balls — and in a hurry. Whether it’s confidence or ability, the organization needs to give him the tools to succeed this winter, because if they don’t, someone else surely will.

The best is yet to come from Sanchez. When healthy, he can flat-out rake. He calls a solid game, frames pitches very well and has a spectacular throwing arm. You don’t trade a player like this after one poor season.

Now if things don’t improve in 2019, they’ll be genuine room for concern. But I firmly believe the best is still yet to come from Gary Sanchez — and the Yankees, if smart, will reap the rewards.