Aug. 7: The Yankees have now placed Iannetta on the restricted list, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic tweets. It’s unclear why the team made the move.
Aug. 5: The Yankees further announced this morning that right-hander Luis Cessa has been reinstated from the injured list, filling Iannetta’s roster spot. Cessa missed most of Summer Camp and the early portion of the regular season while recovering from Covid-19. He tested positive prior to intake and dealt with some minor symptoms before his return.
Aug. 4: The Yankees have outrighted catcher Chris Iannetta to their alternate training site after he cleared waivers, per a team announcement. Iannetta, whom the Yankees designated for assignment over the weekend, is no longer part of their 40-man roster but will stay in their 60-player pool.
The 37-year-old Iannetta joined the Yankees as a minor league pickup last offseason on the heels of a subpar campaign in Colorado. However, Iannetta has enjoyed quite a bit of offensive success in the majors as a member of a few teams. He’s the owner of a lifetime line of .230/.345/.406 (100 wRC+) with 141 home runs in 4,253 plate appearances since he debuted in 2006.
Iannetta’s track record hasn’t been enough for him to get an opportunity in New York, which has Gary Sanchez and Kyle Higashioka as the only catchers on its big league roster. Erik Kratz and Josh Thole join Iannetta as 60-man veteran reserves for the club.
DarkSide830
Higashoika is garbage
burrows_ ghost
He’s better than Sanchez he just sucks offensively and defensively
baseballpun
But he wears his hat with style.
Merkle's Boner
Ha!
Yankee Clipper
Hey, Darkside, serious inquiry since you’ve been on here a lot: How does one get his account suspended on this site when comments don’t violate any rules of etiquette?
I ask because it has happened to me before and I was going to pay for this site, but I won’t if my account Is going to be rendered inert for no apparent reason.
They also didn’t respond to my requests to know why….. any idea?
Yankee Clipper
@Connor Byrne, can you answer this ^^^^. I would like to continue on this site but there should be a notification/reason I’d think.
DarkSide830
really dude? you want me suspended because i dont think your backup catcher is as good as advertised? no wonder you didnt get a response.
Jeff Zanghi
That’s clearly not what he was saying/asking… he was asking you why in the past your account has been suspended… it had nothing to do with this comment in particular… obviously… lol
DarkSide830
wow that’s poor reading comprehension on my part…quite frankly I dont know. i know it takes a lot to get banned here. could jusg be an administrative thing where your name was confused with another person’s name. that they haven’t responded is frustrating though.
Yankee Clipper
It’s cool, man. I knew it was a misread. Thanks anyway, that’s what I had figured. I’ve seen far worse on here, so I’m not entirely sure what prompted it, other than a known angry poster disagreeing with my assessment of a player.
99 Captain Judge
@DarkSide830- You wish his name was spelled like that…lol Nice try though.
DarkSide830
i tried, but to no avail
Briffle2
This will loosen Sanchez up a little and he’ll start hitting better, I’m sure of it.
SanchezRevival
Briffle makes a good point
pasha2k
Maybe Bloom will sign him?
ctyank7
He was having a strong camp in Florida back in March. Liked then like he had a chance to take Higgy’s job.
Yankee Clipper
Boone says Higgy’s got some serious pop, it just hasn’t translated well to MLB. I though Ianetta was going to be the backup this season.
mlbnyyfan
I was hoping Yankees brought back Russell Martin to be the back up
99 Captain Judge
mlbnyyfan- I love Russell Martin to. But c’mon my man how old is he now, 47? lol. Higgy is fine playing a day or two a week as a back-up.
ScottCFA
I would love to see Iannetta, Kratz, and Thole in the same stadium. Aren’t they carbon copies of the same guy? Prove to me that they’re not the same all-glove, no-hit guy!
hiflew
It’s weird because when Iannetta was young with the Rockies he was thought of as the exact opposite. He was a great hitter that was just not good enough behind the dish. Just goes to show that defense is a skill that can always improve no matter your age, but hitting skills usually decline as your get older.
Vladguerrerojr20
Lol what? Thole is a left handed hitter and Ianetta has been an above average batsman in 7 of his 14 MLB seasons according to OPS+. He also has 141 Big-league homeruns, I’m gunna go out on a limb here and say that’s probably about 141 more then you.
Jeff Zanghi
Yeah not sure where all the hate on his offense is coming from… he’s actually a pretty solid offensive backup catcher. And has actually had several really good all around offensive seasons… his calling cards are power and OBP — and when his average dips so low that even walks can’t help him he has a really bad offensive season… but he certainly has had a handful of really good seasons offensively as well.
99 Captain Judge
ScottCFA- Nah Kratz and Iannetta are too old to catch anymore. Doesn’t mean I don’t like them either. Only way we’re getting Thole back there to catch Is if R.A Dickey or Tim Wakefield are making comebacks in the majors…lol
gus911
We must have better pitchers in Scranton than Cessa. He should have been off the roster over the last 2 years.
99 Captain Judge
gus911- I disagree with what you said regarding Cessa truthfully. If you released him today. You would see how fast he would be snatched up by a team like the Indians, who the fans claim is no good. Then the Tribe would use him as a shut down set-up man in the 7th or 8th inning. Trust me on this one. Cessa is a nice power arm for any bullpen in the majors. He could even close for some teams.
Vladguerrerojr20
How’re you gunna complain about a guy that spun 81 innnings in relief with a 4.11 ERA. Obviously, he’s no josh Hader or even Dellin Betances but you can’t always have 8 closers in the pen, not even the Yankees. You need guys to eat innings, how spoiled can you get lmao, you’re pitiful. If this guy is the worst pitcher on your roster then you’re blessed.
99 Captain Judge
@DarkSide830- Would you trade Kraken for JT Realmuto straight up? At least you get out of paying JT long term and get a few years out of the Sanchise before free agency.
baseballpun
So I guess what you’re asking is if Darkside would….release the Kraken?
DarkSide830
no. that’s not a knock on Sanchez, just a statement of how good JT is. Sanchez might be a cheap option who is in the top 5 (probably) catchers in baseball, but JT is just head and shoulders above the rest.
99 Captain Judge
DarkSide830- I do feel Realmuto is the best defensive catcher in the game today. I feel that Gary is the best offensive catcher in the game though. Sánchez defense has improved enough though to where the Yankees are fine now. The Phillies BETTER sign JT or they will regret it. You don’t want to see the Mets sign him in the off-season for 5 or 6 years.
Phanatic 2022
Nope. Yankees have enough offense without Gary. If they want JT they can just buy him in a few months ( not that I think they will).
mlbnyyfan
Yankees had there chance to get JT for Sanchez a few years ago. Miami said No.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Incorrect, sir.
*Cashman* said no. For good reason. FYI.
😉
(also, it’s “their chance” as opposed to “there chance”. Again, FYI.
99 Captain Judge
mlbnyyfan- Derek Jeter wanted to get Sánchez and Andujar to the Marlins. JT would have been a Met. And Syndergaard would have become a Yankee. More pieces were involved. Mets didn’t wanna see the Yankees win a World Series across town. So Mets ownership(the Wilpon’s) said no.
Jeff Zanghi
Wow I just looked at Higashioka’s minor league numbers and I really never would have guessed he has like 40 HR power (in AAA anyway) — I honestly just thought he was a light hitting defensive guy… but obviously he has massive power potential… he’s just REALLY never displayed it at all in the majors (yet anyway)
99 Captain Judge
The Phillies would never trade JT for Sánchez anyway. Joe Girardi is a defense guy lst. He was So hard on Gary when he was the manager here In NY about his defense so he would never want him in Philly. If it was up to Joe, JT would have been re-signed by now. The Phillies should sign him or they will lose him to the Mets in the off-season. My guess is 5 or 6 years for $135-150 million.