Over the past few years, Gary Sanchez has not been able to stay healthy enough to avoid stints on the IL. The Yankees had the luxury of penciling trusted backup Austin Romine in his place and the veteran proved his worth as a backup.
Last season, Romine finished with a .281 average at the plate with eight home runs and 35 RBI in 72 games. Romine was drafted by New York in 2007, and after spending five of the last seven years as the backup in the Bronx he opted to sign a free-agent contract with the Detroit Tigers over the winter with the hope of landing the full-time catching duties.