The Cubs have signed Jonathan Sanchez to a minor league deal, a source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. The deal includes incentives if the left-hander makes the big league roster.
Sanchez, 31, was cut loose after five atrocious games to open the 2013 season and ended up with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque. There, he pitched 66 2/3 innings, posting a 5.13 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9. Sanchez has held lefties to a .218/.313/.363 batting line in his big league career and limited them to a .215/.276/.418 line in the minors this season.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune previously reported that the Cubs were eyeing Sanchez as a reliever. The veteran is represented by the McNamara Baseball Group, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.
Even when he was at his best he was still walking 4.5 batters per 9.
You can’t survive at the 7 bb/9 he has been at.
Pitching a no-hitter was a piece of cake for him, but you will never see him pitch a no-walker.
Umm.. wasn’t his no hitter also a no-walker?
It was. The only baserunner reached on an error.
My Bad….
Was still funny.
I forgot this guy was even relevant.
He’s not lol
Cubs will be trying to turn him into a reliever. Just another arm just in case the Cubs trade Russell which I believe the Cubs will
If the pitching coaches can figure out his control issues than I say it’s a good signing.
Us Giants fans were saying the same thing for years! Sadly he could never get it together. You will be ripping your hair out when he strikes out 5 in a row then walks the next 3 and throws 2 pitches over the backstop. He will win you some games but will lose quite a few as well. Honestly I hope he works out for you I always liked him and he has tons of potential.
I hope he does too. I have a good feeling about this. Cubs already signed Eli on a minor league deal. They will be batterymates again but prob at Iowa. Eli was good for him. Maybe that is what he has needed the past 2 years. He just might do it.
“The deal likely includes incentives if the left-hander makes the big league roster.”
I don’t know, do you really want to give Sanchez an incentive to make the MLB roster? Keep him in the minors where he can’t hurt you!
He is Nuke Laloosh…Million dollar arm with a 5 cent head!
Early 30’s latino lefty SP who had high potential due to quality strikeout stuff but with diminishing control, lost a rotation spot and years later, attempts to rebuild as a reliever.
Oliver Perez needs to revisit the family tree, he may have a twin brother.
Except Olly never pitched a no-hitter.
Or won a world series ring. But then again, O, Perez was the one who got a big contract after becoming a free agent.
LOOGY
That’s the only way he’ll ever be relevant at the MLB level again.
a minor league deal for a team still a few years away from being good. no harm if he does well that a + if he doesnt no harm since it a minor league deal.
Might be a nice signing as a LOOGY? Ya never know minimal risk potential reward…
A left-handed Marmol?
No marmol was terrible til he went to LA. It was then he learned how to pitch .. most of his career the only thing Rothschild could say is ” throw better” He averaged a hit batter, walk and 2 hit per 9 innings when he was the closer.. the fact that Kevin Gregg took his job would make most people Donny Moore themselves
We will not fail this year like last year. We will get #1 draft pick for 2015
Cool then they can draft another Shawon Dunston again. If I was a Cubs fan I would prefer to avoid the #1 overall pick with that history.
Actually come to think of it, other than Rafael Palmeiro (and they traded him away), the Cubs don’t really have a rich history of ANY first round picks becoming long-term superstars in the league. They have a lot of good prospects now, but they used to have Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, and Josh Vitters too. In other words, I’ll believe it when I see it.
The only thing Jonathan Sanchez has going for him is that his career WAR is still higher than Edinson Volquez’s.
Didn’t he have a near perfect game with the giants like 2 years ago? It ended up being a no hitter anyway? He’s really fallen on hard times if he settled for the cubs. He’s guaranteed a rotation spot.
Theres no way he’s in the rotation.
They don’t have much choice. Jackson , wood and samardzija after that its two spot starters .. shark will be gone hopefully in July
I see the rotation looking like: Wood, Samardzija, Jackson, Arrieta then I think guys like Rusin, Grimm, Raley and Wada all get a look at the #5 spot before Sanchez. Hopefully Baker is back too.
Neh’mind
I think Wood, Samardzija, Jackson and Arrieta are set. Then I think guys like Rusin, Raley, Wada and Villeanueva all get looked at for the 5th spot before Sanchez. Hopefully Baker is back as well.