The Tigers have optioned veteran righty Anibal Sanchez to Triple-A, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Sanchez, who would’ve had the right to reject any minor-league assignment, will return to working as a starter at Toledo.
The move was driven by Sanchez himself, per Ausmus. He would like to return to working from the rotation after opening the year in the bullpen. Through 21 innings over 11 outings, Sanchez had allowed 21 earned runs on 34 hits while compiling 22 strikeouts against nine walks.
That was the first time Sanchez had functioned as a reliever for such a dedicated stretch. The vast balk of his dozen-year MLB career has come from the rotation, where Sanchez once thrived. But the results just haven’t been there over the past two seasons — he owns a 5.65 ERA since the start of 2015 — and Detroit wasn’t willing to give him a starting role this year.
It seems optimistic to hope that Sanchez can turn things around by returning to a starting role, though stranger things have happened. It’s worth noting that he’s registering a 10.1% swinging-strike rate in the early going, his best since 2013, and could perhaps boost that yet further if he can get batters to chase outside the zone at a rate closer to his career average. Sanchez’s batted-ball results — .379 BABIP; 3.86 HR/9; 55.9% strand rate — may fall at his feet to large extent, but there’s probably some poor fortune mixed in as well.
Regardless of how things go, Sanchez will earn $16MM this season — the final guaranteed year of the contract he signed before the 2013 campaign. He’ll also earn a $5MM buyout over the winter, unless the Tigers make the surprising decision to pick up his $16MM option.
classy move by Sanchez
Good thing the Cubs lost the auction for him five years ago. Though, their consolation prize was Edwin Jackson.
☝ made me laugh.
Classy move, but he’s done. Father Time is undefeated., and Detroit is on the hook for his high salary, because he’s virtually untradeable.
Finally. He’s so bad.
Also Warwick Saupold is coming up in his place.
Flying to Detroit in a hot air balloon?
I heard the ride stingrays to get over to the states.
$21 mil to pitch horribly. Good work, if you can get it!
Change of scenery? With Pitt or CHC pitching coach, is what he needs
Cubs have to figure out their own pitchers before they try grabbing more.
Can we stop with the whole “Pirates fix pitchers thing”? They got lucky a couple of times and have nothing to show for it currently.
Right, they just got lucky a few times. Grilli, Burnett, Volquez, Liriano, and Happ were just all pure luck with no coaching at all. Oh and that Ivan Nova guy is pretty good too, so make that 6 pitchers who magically became good after going to PIT.
I don’t think it was luck but I totally get what you are saying. Anytime a stud from the past loses his way everyone says the Pirates should sign him and he’ll get his mojo back.
There is a difference between “change of scenery” and “doesn’t have much left”.
Agree with this.
Tim Lincecum did this last yr., although it is very unusual for a vet to consent let alone ask for a minors assignment.
But what team was that for ? Couldn’t still be the giants.
Angels.
The vast “balk” of his work?
When talking about a pitcher, that is rather humorous. :)
I enjoyed that too.
Would like to see the red sox get this guy if tigers eat salary even if he has a 4.00-4.50 era, he would be a decent 6th starter on that team
Decent 6th starter. Cute
Give him a break. He’s a gorilla who got shot. How’s he supposed to know about baseball?
Heck, why not? They already overpaid to get the other major piece of the Beckett trade back.
except he hasn’t been even close to a 4-4.50 era in the last 3 years so I miss the point
16 million dollars for 6 months of… Hard work? Not the income to an average worker for sure…
I guess he didn’t want to join Pelfrey in the White Sox rotation
In the beginning of Spring Training, Anibal Sanchez was more or less bating practice. However, the rest of Spring, he was one of the better Tiger pitchers. His SO:BB ratio was very good and because Francisco Rodriguez and Bruce Rondon were so bad, I thought Sanchez might be a good CL I really want him to figure it out down in Toledo.
Mentioning Francisco Rodriguez, the Tigers will keep running him out there in hope he develops more trade interest.