Aaron Boone not getting caught up in Gary Sanchez-Gerrit Cole scenario
New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez receives a pitch from Luis Cessa during the fourth inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., Tuesday, March 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
TAMPA, Fla.
When Aaron Boone said Sunday that he "expects" Gary Sanchez to be behind the plate for Gerrit Cole’s Opening Day start on April 1, there are a couple of things to consider.
One, Boone still has time to change his mind. And two, the Sanchez-Cole dynamic is such that it wouldn’t be surprising if the manager eventually leans toward using Kyle Higashioka on a more regular basis when the $324 million ace pitches.
Sanchez has done a commendable job working his way back from the October bench to (presumably) the Opening Day lineup. He logged long hours in the offseason, well before spring training, trying to put last year’s humiliation behind him.
But Sanchez’s struggles opened the door for a strong partnership to develop between Cole and Higashioka, one that again was on display Sunday against a big chunk of what will be the Blue Jays’ Opening Day lineup. Cole whiffed eight in those five innings, with Higashioka stealing a number of borderline strikes (21 were called).
It was meant to be a dress rehearsal for April 1, but without Sanchez, who has caught Cole only once in a Grapefruit League game — his first start of spring training.
Afterward, Cole was asked for any general praise he could throw Sanchez’s way, but the ace mostly deferred, saying he’s "getting really good reviews" and hadn’t heard "anything negative" about him.
Fair enough. As for Sanchez, I asked him Monday if there is more to work on with Cole, even after whatever strides have been made to this point.
"I’ve never felt uncomfortable catching Cole," Sanchez said through an interpreter. "On the other hand, I feel very comfortable catching him."
But in this relationship, it’s all about Cole, and the numbers point to an obvious favorite. His ERA while pitching to Sanchez (3.91) was more than double what it was when he threw to Higashioka (1.79) during his debut season in pinstripes. Cole also has a longstanding connection to Higashioka dating to their Southern California high school days.
You wouldn’t think an elite pitcher of Cole’s talents would be affected all that much by who’s catching him, but having a preference shouldn’t be shocking. What Boone chooses to do with that is the hard part.
For now, giving Sanchez the public vote of confidence for Opening Day has the most upside. Boone could have just punted on the catcher question with 10 days to go before he has to make a decision. Instead, the manager floated a penciled-in commitment to Sanchez, the logical next step in his winter makeover.
"I feel like he’s had a really good offseason," Boone said Monday. "We’ve had a lot of conversations and I feel like that offseason turned into a really good January and building a good amount of momentum coming into camp. I certainly like what I’ve seen and we’ll just see how it all plays out.
"I feel like he’s put himself into a really good position to continue to work and try and improve on his game, and hopefully we see the fruits of that this season."
Sanchez has flashed his spectacular power, with three jaw-dropping homers. One cleared the 40-foot-high batter’s eye at Steinbrenner Field and another clanged halfway up a light tower in left-centerfield at the Tigers’ Joker Marchant Stadium. Otherwise, the numbers are less awe-inspiring. Sanchez was hitting .194 (6-for-31) with 11 strikeouts heading into Monday night’s game against the Phillies.
The Yankees need Sanchez to do damage at the plate, not while he’s squatting behind it. But it’s not as if they can’t survive with the offense provided by the rest of the lineup. It's just that Sanchez has the ability to supply another sledgehammer, and that’s too tempting to dismiss, regardless of the defensive liability. Unless maybe you’re Cole, whose focus is considerably more narrow when he’s on the mound.
"It’s an ongoing thing," Boone said. "And the reality is Higgy and Gerrit do work really well together. They showed that down the stretch. I love them together and I think you’re gonna see them together a lot throughout the season. But I don’t want to just be limited to that as well."
It’s true. Managers loathe personal catchers for that simple reason. They don’t want to be boxed in every fifth day. And what if Higashioka gets hurt?
Still, this Cole conundrum isn’t going away. And after what Sanchez went through last season, he won’t be taking anything for granted.
"I’m just focused on my job," Sanchez said. "There’s going to be times where I’m going to be in the conversation. Boone is going to talk about me, regarding any different topic, but at the end of the day, I don’t control any of that stuff. When my name is in the lineup, I just want to do the best I can."
It apparently will be for Opening Day. Beyond that depends on Sanchez.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
