Gary

Sánchez

Sánchez got the start behind the dish on Saturday and drove in the only run of the game on a groundout in the second inning. He later led off the eighth with a single and was lifted for a pinch-runner. The 33-year-old backstop is hitting .209/.352/.419 with 11 homers and 36 RBI across 264 plate appearances.

It’s been slow going in recent years, but Sánchez is the 21st catcher (min. 50 percent of career games) to reach 200 homers. Four of those catchers barely made it (200 for Bill Freehan, 201 for Gene Tenace and 202 for Bill Dickey and Todd Hundley), so Sánchez should move up a few spots quickly. He will, however, also get overtaken by Willson Contreras, who is at 198 and is still a couple of years away from no longer qualifying here.

Contreras has shouldered a heavy load behind the dish for the Brewers this season, so they’ll get him off of his feet for a day on Sunday. Gary Sanchez will do the catching for the Brewers and will bat sixth against Rangers’ righty Kumar Rocker.

It appears to just be a routine day-game-after-a-night-game rest. Gary Sánchez is batting cleanup against RHP George Kirby.

The double with the automatic runner on base put the Brewers ahead in the 11th. Sánchez has made a case for more playing time at DH (or at catcher with William Contreras DHing) by hitting .230/.379/.473. He has two more homers than Christian Yelich (10 to 8) in 156 fewer plate appearances (206 to 362).

It has become routine that Yelich generally sits during Sunday afternoon games as a way to get him some rest and keep him healthy for the duration of the season. The fact that the Brewers are facing a left-hander in this one only fueled that fire. William Contreras will function as the club’s designated hitter in his place while Gary Sanchez starts behind the dish.

The acquisition of Bo Naylor in a trade with the Guardians earlier on Saturday seemed like a potential precursor to a Sánchez trade, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Rosenthal and Sammon add that the Brewers view Naylor as another layer of protection behind starter William Contreras heading toward the postseason.

Naylor’s arrival seems to signal that Milwaukee is open to moving current backup catcher Gary Sánchez. The 26-year-old former top prospect never lived up to his potential in Cleveland, but he represents an interesting reclamation project for the Brewers behind starter William Contreras. He’s flashed some occasional over-the-fence pop, but needs to start making more frequent hard contact if he’s going to be a fantasy-relevant option in the future. It’s the type of challenge trade between two forward-thinking front offices that has a range of potential outcomes wider than the Grand Canyon.

This is a fascinating challenge trade between two savvy front offices and player development factories. FanSided’s Robert Murray adds that Blake Perkins is also in the deal. Naylor wound up back in the minors after Cleveland picked up defensive specialist Patrick Bailey from the Giants back in May. The 26-year-old former top prospect represents an interesting reclamation project of sorts for the Brewers as they’ll attempt to unlock his potential as more of a long-term gamble. It also seems to signal that they’re ready to move current backup catcher Gary Sánchez to another contender. Yoho has always been an intriguing relief prospect and he’s finally started to gain some traction at the highest level this season. He fortifies Cleveland’s bullpen as a solid middle relief arm, with the potential to grow into a more prominent fixture, for the next couple years.

Yelich gets a break with rookie southpaw Zac Thornton toeing the rubber for New York in this one following eight consecutive starts at DH. It’ll be William Contreras getting a night off from the catching duties with Gary Sánchez behind the dish.