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The Baltimore Orioles had a much worse than expected season in 2025. Injuries and poor performances made for a bad season after the team had playoff expectations. With catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo in the fold, Gary Sanchez on Monday elected free agency, according to the MLB transactions list on CBSSports.com, and will likely sign elsewhere for next season. BALTIMORE, MD – JUNE 29: Gary Sánchez #99 of the Baltimore Orioles run home during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 29, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) Sanchez appeared in just 29 games for Baltimore last season, slashing .231/.297/.418 with five home runs and a .715 OPS in his 101 at-bats. Surprisingly enough, Sanchez struggled against left-handed pitching, hitting just .211 with only one of his five home runs. A knee sprain caused Sanchez to miss an extremely large portion of time, just as he was heating up during the season. In the 17 games prior to his injury, Sanchez was hitting .295 with a .574 slugging percentage. His injury ultimately led to the Orioles to promoting their top prospect Basallo for the remainder of the season. Even with a down season in 2025, Sanchez’s power is still evident with the seven extra-base hits in the 101 at-bats. His best years are certainly behind him, but it appears that with health, he can still be a serviceable option in a backup role. A potential landing spot for Sanchez could be his former team, the New York Yankees, as they are in need of a right-handed hitting catcher to complement the left-handed hitting Ben Rice and Austin Wells. Sanchez will be an underrated free agent signing for whoever acquires him, but it could be one of the bigger moves of the entire offseason if he is able to put together a near full season for the first time since the 2022 season. More MLB: Yankees Star Projected To Sign 6-Year, $175M Deal After Opt-Out Decision
