With the start of spring training quickly approaching, the Yankees and the Twins have agreed to a blockbuster deal that will send catcher Gary Sánchez and third baseman Gio Urshela to Minnesota in exchange for veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and catcher Ben Rortvedt, the team announced Sunday.
Donaldson, 36, provides the Yankees with a veteran slugger who has spent his last two seasons with the Twins. Although far from the All-Star he was from 2014 to ’16, the former MVP had a strong 2021 campaign in Minnesota, slashing .247/.352/.475 with 26 home runs and 72 RBI.
Kiner-Falefa, who was just traded to the Twins on Saturday after spending four seasons with the Rangers, will now head to the Bronx. The Gold Glove-winning shortstop could start at shortstop for the Yankees in 2022, though his below-average bat could keep him in more of a utility role. Rortvedt, 24, badly struggled in his 96 plate appearances last season, his first in the majors, and would appear to be a backup catcher candidate.
Headed back to Minnesota in the deal are a pair of players who have spent the majority of their careers in New York.
Sanchez, 28, is coming off of another difficult year in the Big Apple. Although much improved from a dreadful 2020 campaign, the veteran catcher posted just a .204 batting average with 23 home runs and 54 RBI in 2021. He also continued to be a liability on defense. The glove-first Urshela also saw his numbers take a dip last season, hitting .267 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI.
The Yankees are looking to improve upon another early playoff exit in 2021 that saw them bounced in the wild-card round with a loss to the Red Sox. After winning back-to-back division titles in 2019 and ’20, the Twins regressed last year, finishing last in the American League Central with a 73–89 record.
