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Cashman: 'Playoff clubs' tried to deal for Sanchez in 2018

Brace Hemmelgarn / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Gary Sanchez isn't going anywhere.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman stood by catcher Sanchez after a woeful 2018 campaign, saying he refused to consider trade inquiries from a number of teams.

"I think we have a distinct advantage by having Gary Sanchez as our everyday catcher," Cashman said, according to Ken Davidoff of The New York Post. "And I know many in the industry feel the same way by their attempts last year, these extremely smart teams trying to see if they can get their hands on him. They’re not going to ask this year because everybody saw the numbers behind the numbers from last year and they know what he’s capable of. They know he’s a huge difference-maker being able to run him out there behind the plate."

While Cashman wouldn't divulge the identities of the interested parties, he did say they were high-profile teams.

"Playoff clubs, clubs that you guys would write highly about as really tremendous organizations, would be knocking on our door for Gary Sanchez. The answer was no, and I thought his season basically played out as an exclamation point of, we were right on that one. There’s no difference there. Same answer today as last year, other than the numbers support it even more."

In 2018, Sanchez batted .186/.291/.406 with 18 home runs in just 89 games. He rebounded to hit .232 with an .841 OPS and 34 homers in 106 games this past summer.

Defensively, Sanchez possesses a strong arm from behind the plate, but he's been prone to lapses. In 2018, he was charged with 18 passed balls. He reduced that number to seven in 2019.

If Cashman is taken at his word, Sanchez won't be wearing a different uniform any time soon. The 26-year-old is hitting arbitration for the first time and isn't slated to become a free agent until after the 2022 season.

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