Gary Sanchez returns, hooray! (So why does that make us nervous?)

I don't want to rip on Gary Sanchez, a lifelong Yankee. I've followed him since July 2, 2009, when Old George bestowed the then-largest check ever upon a Latino 16-year-old, juicing our wet dreams of a future lineup with two catching titans: Gary and the incredible Jesus Montero, before the latter discovered Ben & Jerry's. (Fun fact: Jeez, now 29, is out of baseball; his career stats stand at 28 HRs with a batting average of .256. Wherever he is, I wish him the best. No hard feelings. Jesus is just all right with me, oh yeah.)   

But back to Gary. I've grown accustomed to his face, accustomed to his smile. I  love how he calms a terror-stricken pitcher by placing his reassuring meat hook upon the poor soul's shoulder. I appreciate the work Gary put in last winter, staunching a river of passed balls that made him resemble a Lipton Flow-Thru Tea Bag. When he gets hot, Gary can carry a team.

So, why am I dreading his return today?

Yes, I'll say it. I do dread seeing him. To have Gary Sanchez come up with the tying runner on second base means - well - nothing. He won't taper his swing. He won't slap a single to right. He'll either blast a ball into the next area code or drive a laser off the wall - his version of a single - or, more likely, he'll do nothing to advance our chances. It's a HR or nothing. Statistically, and you can look this up, his identical twin at age 25 is, gulp, Matt Nokes.

Last night, the Yankees lost for the first time in nine games, and much of our joy over the last two weeks came from the timely hitting of Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka, at the bottom of our batting order. Today, we return to the pecking order, which means Gary hitting in the middle of everything. 

Soon, the Death Star lineup will feature Aaron Judge batting second, Giancarlo Stanton third, and Gary at cleanup. Each will present looping, all-or-nothing swings that stir the heartstrings of hernias, and their solo homers will hardly replace the "replacements" that built a 10-game lead in the AL East. 

Last year, while the Yankees set an all-time HR record, Boston won the World Series with timely singles. This year, as super-balls fly out of stadiums, our celebrity sluggers continue to try and hit each ball into the Hudson. Last night, Judge came up with men on second and third, the Yankees down by five, and a key chance to affect the game. He swooshed on three pitches, carnival midway swings, and walked back to the dugout while the YES team reminded us that Judge was supposed to get the night off. Yeah, we love him, but Judge has 30 RBIs this year, and Stanton has another 7. (Clint Frazier has 34. Mike Tauchman has 41. The team leader is DJ LeMahieu, a lead-off batter, with 79.) 

Let's all hope for the best with Gary. The Yankees do need him. He can be a force. But over these next two months, I think the franchise needs to call the question: Is this the pillar of a championship lineup, or should we get what we can for him? I hate to think of any lifelong Yankee being traded. But here's how I see it: Next winter, one of our three catchers - Austin, Kyle or Gary - will probably go. Gary's future is in Gary's hands.