One of the bigger position battles for the Yankees this spring was the backup catching job, and it looks like a winner has been decided. On the night that Gary Sanchez was named the Yankees’ minor league offensive player of the year, he was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and reassigned to minor league camp. While Austin Romine hasn’t technically won the job with Carlos Corporan still in big league camp, all signs point towardthe 27-year-old sitting behind Brian McCann on the team’s depth chart to open the season.
The Yankees entered camp with several catchers in the mix, most notably Sanchez, Romine and Corporan. Sanchez was the favorite before entering spring training, following a resurgent 2015 that saw him hit .274/.330/.485 with 18 home runs in 400 plate appearances between Double and Triple-A. The top prospect also got a cup of coffee at the end of the season, going hitless in two at bats.
The other main competitor was Romine, who has just 183 plate appearances in the big leagues despite being 27. Romine hit .260/.311/.379 last season in Triple-A, and carries a less-than-stellar .181 TAv as a big leaguer.
Based on upside alone, it wasn’t close between a top prospect, an up-and-down 27-year-old and a washed out veteran. That said, upside isn’t everything. Spring training stats are fairly insignificant, though Sanchez may have lost the job for his preseason performance by going 1-21 this spring (Romine hit .273). It’s also important to note that Romine is out of options meaning that if he was demoted to Triple-A, the team would risk losing him on waivers to another club. On the other hand, Sanchez’s free agency would be delayed by a season if he is kept in the minor leagues for at least 35 days.
Finally, and possibly most importantly, Sanchez needs further development on defense. While his bat is major league ready and could provide thump off the bench, the 23-year-old’s defense lagged behind. Having him play nearly every day in the minors simply made more sense than giving him only one or two starts a week.
Still, it wouldn’t take much for Sanchez to be promoted once he passes the 35-day hump. A hot start or step forward in defense from Sanchez, or early struggles from Romine, could have the 23-year-old in New York before the All Star Break. But, Romine fits the ‘good enough’ qualification, which will convince the Yankees to carry him as their backup catcher come Opening Day.
Romine hits left handed pitching. With such a prolific left handed starter in McCann, that carries a lot more weight than general stats against mostly right handed pitching. Romine’s also a solid defensive catcher. Good enough is a little bit under-selling. If Romine does well he could be a real target at the trade deadline from a team that’s not concerned with sending him back down. Yankee catchers have brought in a lot of value as of late (Montero, Cervelli, Murphy).
Romine’s a plus defender, that’s absolutely true. He’s not a big factor with that bat, though, and the combination of a lack of MLB experience/success and age hurt his value compared to the three catchers the Yankees have dealt recently. What I meant by good enough is that he’s not the most exciting of back up catchers (if there is such a thing) like Sanchez would be, but he’s a fine option to use as McCann’s back up.