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3Bplay · 01-07-2026, 06:57 PM

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ROYALS AGREE TO TERMS WITH VETERAN BACKSTOP
Signing brings Royals to seventy-seven in camp

By 3Bplay
02/19/2026

Kansas City added to their veteran catching depth on Wednesday, signing catcher Ali Sanchez to a minor league deal. Sanchez caught on with the Royals' organization at the tail end of last season, and was solid both offensively and defensively for the Triple-A Storm Chasers.

However, it was reported over the offseason he was looking for a big-league deal before the Royals offered him a split deal in which he could opt for free agency by May 1st if not already on the major league roster.

He received positive marks for his defense (mainly framing metrics); and while he didn't throw out a high percentage of the runners that tried to run on him (2-for-13, 15.4%), teams still were reluctant to do so as the opposition attempted to steal at .85 SBA/9.

Despite a very poor 15 OPS+ as a major league hitter in 140 MLB trips to the plate with three different teams, he still commands work due to not only his defense, but he also manages to put up at least slightly below-average to above-average offensive seasons in Triple-A. His 102 OPS+ in 2025 was the second-best of his career, second only to his 115 OPS+ mark in 2023.

With the Royals' organization specifically in 2025, he slashed .322/.375/.458 (113 wRC+), with a homerun and five doubles in sixty-four plate appearances with Omaha.

My guess is that he could fill the Freddy Fermin role from last season, but that's only if 1) Carter Jensen gets injured or really struggles to begin the season, or 2) Salvador Perez is injured for any significant length of time. Freddy Fermin wasn't a great offensive player, but he looks like Salvy compared to him, at least at the MLB level.

01-07-2026, 06:57 PM	#45
3Bplay Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 373	Royals News (02/19) Team Roster/Records \| Statistics \| Standings ROYALS AGREE TO TERMS WITH VETERAN BACKSTOP Signing brings Royals to seventy-seven in camp By 3Bplay 02/19/2026 Kansas City added to their veteran catching depth on Wednesday, signing catcher Ali Sanchez to a minor league deal. Sanchez caught on with the Royals' organization at the tail end of last season, and was solid both offensively and defensively for the Triple-A Storm Chasers. However, it was reported over the offseason he was looking for a big-league deal before the Royals offered him a split deal in which he could opt for free agency by May 1st if not already on the major league roster. He received positive marks for his defense (mainly framing metrics); and while he didn't throw out a high percentage of the runners that tried to run on him (2-for-13, 15.4%), teams still were reluctant to do so as the opposition attempted to steal at .85 SBA/9. Despite a very poor 15 OPS+ as a major league hitter in 140 MLB trips to the plate with three different teams, he still commands work due to not only his defense, but he also manages to put up at least slightly below-average to above-average offensive seasons in Triple-A. His 102 OPS+ in 2025 was the second-best of his career, second only to his 115 OPS+ mark in 2023. With the Royals' organization specifically in 2025, he slashed .322/.375/.458 (113 wRC+), with a homerun and five doubles in sixty-four plate appearances with Omaha. My guess is that he could fill the Freddy Fermin role from last season, but that's only if 1) Carter Jensen gets injured or really struggles to begin the season, or 2) Salvador Perez is injured for any significant length of time. Freddy Fermin wasn't a great offensive player, but he looks like Salvy compared to him, at least at the MLB level. Last edited by 3Bplay; 01-11-2026 at 09:33 AM.