The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a minor-league deal with former right-handed All-Star pitcher Aaron Sanchez. This is a surprising signing, as the 31-year-old hadn’t appeared in a major league game since 2022.
Aaron Sanchez Re-Joins Blue Jays with Minor League Contract
As @SNETCampbell said, Blue Jays in agreement on a minor-league deal with Aaron Sanchez.
He’s slated to join triple-A Buffalo, where he’ll pitch as a starter. https://t.co/dRUMS7gyDm
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) May 6, 2024
Sanchez has a career record of 38-38, a 4.16 ERA, 541 strikeouts, and 685 innings pitched. He last pitched for the Blue Jays in 2019, and in 2022, he played for the Minnesota Twins with a 0-1 record and a 4.71 ERA. His best season was in 2016, when he recorded a 15-2 record, a 3.00 ERA, a 1.167 WHIP, and 161 strikeouts. Sanchez spent seven years in the American League and two years in the National League. He spent time in the Twins and Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor league systems in 2023. Sanchez put up a 5.54 ERA with 68 strikeouts and 63 walks in 22 total appearances (20 starts) split between their Triple-A affiliates. Arizona released him in late August.
Sanchez also spent time with the San Francisco Giants back in 2021. One of the main issues he faced was injuries getting the best of him. Unfortunately, in 2021, his fastball was way down in velocity, and he didn’t possess a strong enough speed mix to cover it. Since 2016, Sanchez has yet to replicate his great numbers from that year. That being said, if he can get some life back into his arm and fastball, he could become a steady big leaguer again. He also threw in the mid-90s coming off one injury, so hopes were somewhat high; then the games started, and he was throwing 88 mph with mediocre peripherals (despite a solid ERA). If his velocity can come back stronger, things could get interesting for Sanchez.
Welcome Back
Baseball is always full of surprises, and Sanchez reuniting with his former team certainly comes as one. It will be interesting to see what the Blue Jays do with him if and when he is major league-ready. He has his work cut out for him, and fans will wonder if we will ever see Sanchez pitch in the major leagues again. He has shown strong potential and promise but, on the whole, not on a consistent enough level. This could be his time to work on tuning his pitching mechanics. Pitching as a starter for Triple-A Buffalo should be a nostalgic experience for him, and he may feel right at home if he ultimately returns to the Blue Jays.
Photo Credit: © Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports
