The Blue Jays have designated right-hander Sergio Santos for the second time this season, according to a team press release. The move makes room on the roster for fellow right-hander Chad Jenkins.
The 31-year-old Santos has had a difficult time remaining healthy since being acquired by the Blue Jays in a 2012 trade that sent right-hander Nestor Molina to the White Sox. Santos underwent shoulder surgery that season, battled a triceps injury last year and has missed time with a forearm strain in 2014.
Following his previous DFA, the Jays immediately placed Santos on outright waivers, hoping that his contract — he’s earning $3.75MM in 2014 and has a $750K buyout on a $6MM option for next season — would allow him to clear. That’s exactly what happened, and the Jays sent him to Triple-A with the hopes that he could rediscover his 2010-11 form. He fired 10 2/3 shutout innings in the minors and was promptly brought back to the club, but he’s struggled again in his return. Santos made just two appearances and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. He surrendered a pair of homers in that time, although he did also record three strikeouts.
Santos, who converted from shortstop to the mound, has consistently shown the propensity to miss bats, but command has been an issue for him. It’s possible that he could rejoin the team in September, but even if that happens, it certainly seems unlikely that Toronto would exercise the club option given his recent struggles.
Sadly, even with an ERA over 8 and a WHIP over 2, he’d be an improvement in the bullpen if the White Sox got him back.
They’d probably tell him that he tips off his pitches, specifically that fastball which seems to be one of the most straight fastballs in the league. Unfortunately he’s going to have to wait a few months before signing with a new team to hear the most obvious information that every team knows about him.
I suppose the silver lining for Toronto is that Nestor Molina hasn’t done squat for the White Sox. At the time of the trade Molina had just put up 7.9 H/9, 10.2 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 in high A and AA and folks were starting to talk him up. Still has pretty good command, but the K’s and overall results just aren’t there for him.
See ya, SS, we hardly knew you. Jays pen is a disaster with little hope for a rebound without lots of FA additions. Janssen’s magic tricks have also dried up.
Whoever signed him up for a trip to the Dominican Republic for 2 days should be ashamed. What non-Dominican goes to the D.R in the middle of July?