The Giants announced this evening that they’ve placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on unconditional release waivers. That was the expected outcome after the club designated him for assignment last weekend.
San Francisco added Sanchez on a one-year, $4MM guarantee over the offseason. It was a low-risk shot on a reclamation candidate. Sanchez showed plenty of promise early in his career with the Blue Jays but he’d been beset by injuries over the past few years and missed all of last season recovering from September 2019 shoulder surgery.
While the addition didn’t pan out as hoped, it wasn’t a complete bust. Sanchez worked to a 3.06 ERA over 35 1/3 innings across nine appearances (seven starts). His 16.7% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk percentage weren’t especially impressive, but he induced grounders at a strong 52.3% clip. That’s not quite the elite groundball numbers Sanchez boasted at his peak, but it was his best season in that regard since 2016.
Unfortunately, Sanchez’s troubles staying healthy reappeared in early May. The 29-year-old landed on the injured list with right biceps tightness. Between that and blister issues that cropped up on his minor league rehab assignment, Sanchez missed nearly three months. He returned to make two appearances before being let go.
Sanchez is entitled to the entirety of his $4MM salary, about $1.1MM of which remains to be paid out. Any team that claims Sanchez off waivers would assume the remainder of that salary, but it seems more likely he’ll pass through unclaimed and reach free agency. At that point, rival clubs could sign Sanchez for the prorated portion of the league minimum salary, with the rest of the tab falling on the Giants.
He was such a pain to watch idc about his ERA
Honestly I found him that way as well when he was in the Cy Young race in 2016. Getting results is great and all but he seemed to consistently be at 90 pitches by the 4th and 5th innings even if he was pittig up zero’s.
And now that I look back he averaged well over 6 innings that year. Point stands for his career though.
Time to go back in to a bullpen role. Should help him stay healthy and more effective.
He has so much talent, needs to just accept he’s not built to be a starter. Still can be a star and make good money as an elite reliever.
Totally agree. I actually think that his stuff would play well out of the ‘pen, and may help prolong his career/help with the injury problems.
His arm is done. Look at his statcast – he used to average 95 mph and now his fastball velocity is in the 11th percentile and it has no spin. I like Sanchez on the Jays but he isn’t going to magically regrow his shoulder.
He might not be great, but I’m pretty sure he’s a hell of a lot better than Michael Wacha (not that that’s saying much) – Rays should pick him up…
Wacha mean?
Wacha wacha wacha
I’d take him back in Toronto as a reliever that throws decent gas with a wipeout curveball like he used to be
He doesn’t have “decent gas.” He throws around 88-89mph with a middling curve.
Get him Preller!
Giants don’t need Sanchez as long as they keep stealing signs at home.
What a resurgence from those aging hitters in a pitchers park.
I want my team to hire some of Zaidi’s video crew
Is your team the dodgers? They have a similar home record. Giants are 12 games over .500 on the road
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Bwahahaha!
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I have a feeling he is leaving the US cause ik most teams won’t sign a player that when placed on waivers have a note saying they have like a KBO deal
Huh??
Sorry if that was unclear. In I think “Future Value” I recall a note explaining that when in the waiver wire FOs will tell the other teams if a player is going to be signing with a foreign team so they just go unclaimed and can go play in day the KBO
He passed through waivers because no one wanted to pay him 1.1 million. If he clears waivers then any team can sign him for the league minimum, and the Giants will still be on the hook for the rest of his salary.
No, they just don’t want to pick up the contract. Someone will sign him, and pay him the keague minimum while the Giants pick up the rest.
How are you a baseball fan and confused about what the KBO is?
Red Sox?
3.06 ERA… what am I missing here?
His fastball is topping out in the mid 80s
Refining his eephus pitch.
He’s soft
Can’t say that I’ve ever seen a player released with those types of stats. Kind of a head scratcher that they’d rather pay him to go home. I don’t get it. Can anyone out there provide me with a similar situation?
Sanchez won’t accept a bullpen role. But that is where he belongs. His choice.
I heard his gas was down to 89 MPH which is a far cry from what he used to be. If so, avoid this guy.
If he can get the real gas back then I’d take a flyer on him for the bullpen.
I assume you would not be interested in Greinke than.
Greinke is a different specimen of human (I mean I think he is human). It’s something about how purely godtier he is as a human
3.06 ERA for Sanchez is pretty amazing considering all he’s been through. He can definitely be a frontline starter in Baltimore or in Pittsburgh.
I don’t think he will ever be a starter again. His body can’t take multiple innings.
Gotta be better than Andrew Heaney.
Welcome to the Chicago Cubs
He’ll be a Cub in no time.
He seemed like he had a chance to be special when with the Jays and he thrived coming out of the pen. The next year he started and played amazing and won the ERA title.The year he won that for the Jays people thought he was going to be the next star pitcher. Teams apparently went after him hard but AA refused to trade him and everyone agreed it was a good move. I wonder what type of deal were offered, I’m sure some of them had guys that are good major leaguers today, I truly would love to know.
Dodgers aren’t that good…. Don’t get me wrong. Top 5 team. But I saw all I needed to see today. Can’t wait to beat them come postseason. They could sweep us and I wouldn’t change my opinion…
You’re losing
Don’t worry about beating the Dodgers in the postseason because you actually have to make the postseason. October is going to be miserable for you. You always got Halloween to fall back on.
A return to the Astros for spot starting and relief. Not sure how dependable rotation remains come September.
I like the idea of a Sanchez pickup for the pen for any contender.Arm’s are getting obselete,they are dropping in waves lately.
Padres, Padres, Padres… Preller!
Mets sign him for the bullpen, he can’t be worse than Familia.
Dodgers. He can eat innings. 3.06. ERA 4.06 FIP, 3.84 xERA. Not bad, idc if he throws 4o or 190 mph.
Giants wanted to have him coming out of the pen but apparently there was some resistance, so he’s gone.
Logan Webb has developed into a solid 3-4 starter, so Sanchez had no leverage to stay with the team.
Imagine if you couldn’t do your job because of blisters….
I’d rather not.
I’d get laughed at and fired if I claimed I couldn’t work because of blisters. But then again I’m not being paid millions of dollars to be an athlete, and never will be, so I’m far less valuable!
Yanks should release Heaney and pick him up! Still a lot of untapped potential there!
This has Oakland or Tampa written all over it. He will become good again lol
better than Moore…