NY Yankees sign catcher Ali Sanchez to major league deal: Updated 26-man roster projections

The New York Yankees announced on their official social media channels that they have selected the contract of catcher Ali Sanchez, adding him to the major league roster for the remainder of the season. The transaction shakes up the team’s active 26-man roster, giving manager Aaron Boone a fresh option behind the plate for the upcoming stretch.

With Sanchez officially in the mix, here is a look at the Yankees’ updated 26-man active roster:

• Catchers (2): Austin Wells, Ali Sanchez
• Infielders (8): Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Amed Rosario, Ryan McMahon, Ben Rice, Max Schuemann, Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Caballero
• Outfielders (3): Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Spencer Jones
• Pitchers (13): Will Warren, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Yarbrough, Ryan Weathers, Tim Hill, Gerrit Cole, Brent Headrick, David Bednar, Carlos Rodón, Paul Blackburn, Jake Bird, Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval

The depth move comes as the Yankees try to maintain their pace in the American League East. General manager Brian Cashman recently detailed the club’s strategy for navigating the regular-season grind without superstar Aaron Judge, who was sidelined by an injury earlier in the week.

J.C. Escarra #25 of the Yankees celebrates with teammates.

Sanchez replaced a player in the 26-man roster

Because the Yankees already possessed open spots on their 40-man roster, backup catcher J.C. Escarra was simply optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to clear space for Sanchez’s arrival. The roster shuffle underscores the team’s ongoing offensive struggles at the catcher position, prompting Boone and the front office to search for an immediate spark.

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Escarra had been struggling to find his footing in the majors, turning in a meager .177 batting average, a lackluster .493 OPS, and just 62 total bases. Confronted with that lack of production, the Yanks made the executive decision to evaluate Sanchez for the remainder of the campaign.

Yankees’ projected lineup with Sanchez on it

The Bronx faithful can expect to see Sanchez split time behind the dish as the season progresses, a change that will naturally tweak the lower third of the batting order. Here is a look at how the Yankees’ projected lineup shakes out with Sanchez in the fold:

1. Anthony Volpe — SS
2. Juan Soto — DH
3. Cody Bellinger — LF
4. Paul Goldschmidt — 1B
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr. — 2B
6. Amed Rosario — 3B
7. Ali Sanchez — C
8. Max Schuemann — CF
9. Spencer Jones — RF