The Boston Red Sox have had quite an interesting offseason.
One could make an argument that it has been a successful offseason, given the additions of Justin Turner, Masataka Yoshida, Corey Kluber, and Kenley Jansen.
Others may cite the offseason as a disappointment thanks to the departures of Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi, and Rich Hill, with the team also missing out on Jose Abreu, Zach Eflin, and Tommy Kahnle.
But with some holes still left to fill, the Red Sox could make the final weeks of the offseason productive, and one analyst proposed that Gary Sanchez could be used to fill the hole at the catcher position.
Is Gary Sanchez an appealing target in #MLB free-agency?
+ Power:
– 90.5 AVG Exit Velo (78th Percentile)
– 13.5 Barrel % (92 Percentile)
– .439 xSLG (76th Percentile)+ Poptime:
– 1.93 Sec (6th in MLB – Min 20 Att.)Framing improved to 1 CFR in ‘22, +7 from last season. pic.twitter.com/gyqCkdBlxU
— Ryan Medeiros (@RRyanmedeiros) January 8, 2023
Sanchez hit just .205 during the regular season with the Minnesota Twins, but still hit 16 home runs and drove in 61 runs.
But his 90.5 average Exit Velocity was in the 78th percentile.
His 13.5 Barrel Percentage was also in the 92nd percentile and his Expected Slugging Percentage was in the 76th percentile.
After trading away Christian Vazquez at the deadline, the Red Sox had a hole to fill at the catcher position, one that has yet to be addressed as they enter the 2023 season.
The team does have Reese McGuire and Connor Wong, but could use a veteran presence behind the plate.
Sanchez could provide that.
The veteran catcher is also quite familiar with the American League East thanks to his time with the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox won just 78 games in 2022 and finished in last place in the AL East.
