A few hours after signing outfielder Tyler O’Neill to a three-year deal, the Baltimore Orioles snagged another bat off the market in the form of slugging catcher Gary Sánchez. Jon Heyman reports the deal is for one year, $8.5 million.

Sánchez, who recently turned 32, became a free agent after a so-so season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024. The veteran catcher/designated hitter played in 89 games for the Brewers, slashing .220/.307/.392 in 280 plate appearances while clubbing 11 home runs and driving in 37 runs. After initially signing a one-year, $3 million deal, the Brewers declined his $11 million option for 2025, instead paying a $4 million buyout.

Since his second-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year race in 2016, power has been the defining trait for Sánchez. He clubbed 20 home runs in the rookie season with the New York Yankees before smashing 33 home runs the following year en route to an All-Star appearance, a Silver Slugger, and MVP votes down the ballot. He has managed to hit double-digit home runs in every season of his career since 2016, including 10 during the shortened 2020 campaign.

Aside from the home runs, Sánchez provides the typical three true outcomes at the plate. He owns a career 26.8% strikeout rate along with a 9.6% walk rate, both of which are above league average. After striking out at a 24.1% clip through the end of the 2019 season, his 2020-22 seasons saw that rate tick up to 29.5% while his home run power began to take a dip. The prolific power potential has certainly kept teams in the league interested especially after his 30 home runs, 84 RBIs, and a 101 OPS+ in 164 games over the past two seasons, but there are still concerns.

His defense on the other hand is a different story. While his power was at its peak with the Yankees, it was easier to stomach the defense behind the plate. As his home run power began to suffer, his defense dropped from roughly average to nearly unplayable, including a -12 figure in Statcast’s catcher defense metric during the 2021 season. This led the Yankees to ship Sánchez to Minnesota where he did make strides defensively but his offense still struggled to produce consistently. While with San Diego in 2023, he played a big part as the primary catcher for Blake Snell’s Cy Young season. His defensive numbers improved back near league averages, or at least toward a more reliable receiver.

In Milwaukee, he served as the backup to William Contreras while finding his way into the first base and DH mix throughout the year. It would seem he may fill the same role the Orioles, giving them more right-handed help off the bench across the three spots.

With the departure of James McCann in free agency, Sánchez looks to back up top receiver Adley Rutschman. It was a bumpier year for Rutschman offensively, but he still remains one of the top catchers in the game on both sides of the ball. Still, catching is a demanding position and Rutschman has played in nearly 150 games the last two seasons, splitting time between catching and the DH spot. Sánchez provides a solid option behind the dish while also helping boost the team’s odds against left-handed pitching. Sánchez can serve as a right-handed alternative to Ryan O’Hearn as the DH when he’s not catching and can play first base in a pinch to relieve Ryan Mountcastle. It’s also worth noting that Sánchez has 11 home runs at Camden Yards, the most in any ballpark outside of Yankee Stadium.

This is the second player with an emphasis on combating left-handed pitching that the Orioles have added today since projections have shown their left-handed heavy lineup with that weakness. While Sánchez is no longer the power hitter he was in the early days of his career, he has found a valuable place as a part-time platoon catcher.