Out with the old and in with the new—the only way to move forward with no regrets. The Yankees are doing just that by sending Gary Sanchez to Minnesota. No surprise to you all that the only thing I like about the Twins-Yankees trade this week is that Sanchez is gonzo. Besides trending all over Twitter within minutes of going public, my inbox was full with comments from baseball fans who had a thing or two to say about our new Yankee catch Ben Rortvedt.
"I’m so sad to see Ben Rortvedt leave the Twins. He was a classmate of my kids in high school and we have enjoyed following his career with our beloved Twins. He’s a stud defender and I think will hit some bangers in your small stadium," wrote one colleague to me on LinkedIn. Kind of neat that he and his family watched Ben develop—also ironic given I could say the same for Sanchez who played both in Staten Island and Trenton. And that experiment just did not turn out the way we planned. But I have high hopes for our new guy behind the plate.
"He was rated the best defensive catcher in the Twins' system last season, he's an exceptional framer and some scouts believe he may eventually have 20-HR power. And yes, as you could probably see from outer space, he is exceedingly yoked. His powerful, lefty swing could fit in perfectly at Yankee Stadium as he develops, or, like his first MLB homer, he can always crank one 417 feet the other way," wrote MLB.com. Did I also mention that the 24-year-old left handed catcher is jacked?
"According to Jack Curry of YES Network, New York's plan—as of now—is to platoon Rortvedt (a left-handed hitter) with Higashioka (who swings from the right side) at catcher.," reports SI.com. Rortvedt also has been reunited with his long time catching instructor Tanner Swanson with whom he worked in Minnesota’s minor league system. Swanson helped the young catcher transform his perspective of the position to one of receiving pitches instead of just blocking and throwing. One cannot underestimate the value of player development — it can help you win but lack of it won't move the needle and provide the level of instruction needed for young athletes to reach their potential.
Is that what happened to Sanchez? Did he get lazy, and complacent, falling into bad habits or did he just miss out on good player development? Hard to tell honestly. But from the looks of Rortvedt, he is athletic, willing to learn and yeah, more important than jacking some dingers, I hope he can just bat for average and hit with runners in scoring position.
The diamond in the rough of this blockbuster trade that brought in veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson and infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa is catcher Ben Rortvedt. Hoping for great things from the young man and make my friend from Minnesota who watched him grow up in front of his eyes proud.
--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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