Gaby Sanchez is happy to be back after Albert Pujols drama

JUPITER — Gaby Sanchez became so annoyed with the reaction to the Marlins' pursuit of free agent Albert Pujols this winter that he insulated himself from the chatter.

Sanchez, Miami's All-Star first baseman, began ignoring the phone calls and text messages and then started preparing to start another chapter in his career if a deal was struck.

"I had to stop paying attention to it because people were like, 'I can't believe they're doing this' (and) 'What are you going to do now?' ' Sanchez said.

Sanchez, the Miami native who spent his college career at the University of Miami, knew that adding Pujols meant he would be traded to make room for the game's most dominant player of the last decade.

But finally, after more than a week of rumors and reports, Pujols agreed to leave the St. Louis Cardinals for the Los Angeles Angels.
"I was like, 'Thank you,' ' Sanchez said.

Sanchez, 28, is coming off his second consecutive season in which he played more than 150 games, had more than 570 at-bats, hit better than .265 and belted 19 home runs. He represented the Marlins in the All-Star Game, his first appearance.

Still, with the Marlins deciding to open the vault preceding their move into their new stadium, their ambitions included trying to sign a player who eventually received a 10-year deal worth $254 million.

"I'm OK with that," Sanchez said. "If was a GM, if I was running the Marlins, I would have done the same thing.

"I was pretty sure I was going to be playing somewhere. Hopefully it was going to be with the Marlins. If it wasn't, if that wasn't my path, I would go somewhere else."

But Sanchez's path his entire career has been through South Florida. His family and friends watched him at UM. His parents, Remberto and Iliana, and his wife, Judy, sat behind home plate at Sun Life Stadium and now will do so at Marlins Park in Little Havana.

How different it would have been had Sanchez been preparing to take the field this spring in St. Louis or Chicago or Baltimore or any other major league city.

"It's part of the business," Remberto Sanchez said. "We were all wanting for Gaby to stay here but you never know what's best."

Still, Dad was glad that Pujols went elsewhere.

"I didn't think the Marlins needed a first baseman," Remberto said with a laugh.

Sanchez won't have to get to know a whole new team, but he will need to become familiar with a new shortstop, Jose Reyes, and a novice third baseman.

The signing of Reyes forced Hanley Ramirez to move from shortstop to third base, a position he has played in three games (all in the minors) in his 10 years as a professional.

"That's what spring training is for," Sanchez said. "Most of it is going to be the angle of their arm and the way they throw. See what kind of movement they have on the ball.

"That's all going to be learned during spring training. Once the season starts it's going to be like we played together our whole lives."


(palmbeachpost.com)