At the AAA All Star break, Sanchez is hitting .282 with 9 HR and 40 RBI. His OBP, SLG, and OPS are all very respectable as well...especially for a catcher.
Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
2013 25 Indianapolis IL AAA PIT 70 275 241 33 68 26 9 40 26 57 .282 .364 .502 .866
The problem is that, barring an injury to Russell Martin, Sanchez will likely be blocked in Pittsburgh this season and next. Sanchez will be 27 at that point and likely only have a season or two left of his "prime".
Sanchez's heroics at the AAA All Star game last night was impressive enough to earn him MVP honors for the game. His 3 run homer proved to be the difference in the game.
So, as we approach the trade deadline, Sanchez's value continues to rise and may never be higher. With the Pirates drafting Reese McGuire in the first round of the 2013 draft, they have another (higher rated) prospect that will hopefully be right behind Sanchez in a few years.
Rather than keeping Sanchez in AAA or using him as a major league backup for the next year and a half, does it make sense to use him as a trade piece now and capitalize on his rising value?
