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Veteran Catcher Hasn't Reported to Milwaukee Brewers' Spring Training Yet, Confusion About Status Takes Hold
USA TODAY Sports

A confusing situation is unfolding at Milwaukee Brewers camp as veteran catcher Gary Sanchez has yet to report.

Sanchez had agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal but with him not showing up yet, there are questions around the status of that deal.

Per Brewers' reporter Todd Rosiak on "X:"

A few snippets from Maryvale: Gary Sanchez is not here, and there is no expectation right now as to when/if a deal might be done. Brewers aren't commenting, so the guess is negotiations/examinations are ongoing.

Any number of things could be going on here.

1) Sanchez could have failed a physical and the deal could be off.

2) The Brewers could see something in the examination that gives them worry and they want to renegotiate the terms of the deal, similar to what we saw with the Los Angeles Dodgers and James Paxton.

3) Things could be just fine, but the deal may not have been finalized yet for some reason.

The 31-year-old Sanchez played 72 games for the Padres last year after a three-game stint with the New York Mets. He's hit for low averages for the last several years and that continued in 2023 as he hit .218, but he remained a power source, popping 19 home runs.

Sanchez is a nine-year veteran who has played for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Mets and Padres. He came up with the Yankees and was a two-time All-Star in New York. Along with Aaron Judge and Luis Severino, he was part of the "Baby Bombers," that were supposed to bring sustained greatness to the franchise.

He's a career .225 hitter with 173 home runs.

If a deal does get done with the Brewers, he should see a lot of time at designated hitter, while also getting to catch.

This article first appeared on FanNation Fastball and was syndicated with permission.

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