New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone knows he’ll have Gary Sanchez starting at catcher for most games in 2020 (provided Sanchez can stay healthy, which is no guarantee).

Who will back up Sanchez remains to be seen.

The New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports “#Yankees signed former #Mets catcher Josh Thole to a minor league deal. He would get $600,000 if he makes it to the majors. Joins Chris Iannetta and Erik Kratz on minor league pacts behind Sanchez/Higashioka. Thole hasn’t played in majors since 2016.”

The Yankees are exploring all options behind the plate after watching Austin Romine sign with the Detroit Tigers. The 31-year-old Romine hit .281 with eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .748 OPS in 72 games last season backing up Sanchez.

The Yankees’ main backup option appears to be Kyle Higashioka. General manager Brian Cashman has said the club would be willing to let Higashioka back up Sanchez full time. Higashioka is out of minor-league options. The Yankees like him because of his receiving ability and the pop he’s displayed at Triple-A, but he hasn’t hit much in limited big-league time (.164 batting average, 6 HR, 56 RBI). He hit .278 with 20 homers at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year. Higashioka is also a homegrown Yankee whom New York drafted in the seventh round in 2008 out of high school.

Iannetta signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees earlier this month. Iannetta, a 14-year major-leaguer, hit just .222 with six homers and 21 RBI in 52 games for the Rockies last season. The 36-year-old Iannetta is a career .230 hitter. He came up with the Rockies and has spent eight years in Colorado. He’s also played for the Angels, Diamondbacks and Mariners.

Kratz signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees in December. The 39-year-old Kratz spent the 2019 season with three organizations – the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Yankees. He hit .102 (5-for-49) with one homer and three RBI in 21 games with the Giants and Rays. Released by the Rays on June 5, Kratz signed with the Yankees three days later and finished the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting .299 with seven homers and 31 RBI in 46 games. Kratz is well traveled, as he’s played big-league games with nine clubs. He played four games with the Yankees in 2017 and was a perfect 2-for-2 with a double in his plate appearances.

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Thole has eight MLB seasons under his belt, but hasn’t seen the majors since 2016. The Mets drafted him in the 13th round of the 2005 MLB Draft and made his big league debut in 2009. In 2012, New York traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of the R.A. Dickey-Noah Syndergaard deal. The 33-year-old Thole has seen action in 478 games and is a lifetime .242 hitter.

(NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty contributed to this report.)

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.