The Twins are bringing back veteran right-hander Aaron Sanchez, re-signing him to a minor league deal, according to his MLB transaction log.
Sanchez joined the Twins in June last year after an unsuccessful stint with the Nationals. He was a solid option in Minnesota, working to a 4.71 ERA over 28 2/3 innings (three starts, five relief appearances). While it was a small sample size, he did lift his strikeout rate back above 20% for the first time since 2016. Prior to that, he’d made seven starts for Washington in 2022, working to an 8.33 ERA with a meager 11.4% punch-out rate.
Sanchez, a first round pick by the Blue Jays in 2010, was once one of the brightest young pitchers in the sport, featuring regularly among baseball’s top-50 prospects prior to his 2014 debut. The hype appeared to be for real when Sanchez delivered a brilliant 2016 campaign, tossing 192 innings of 3.00 ERA ball for the Blue Jays, earning a trip to the All Star game and finishing seventh in AL Cy Young voting.
Unfortunately for him, various injuries have derailed his career and Sanchez has never passed the 150 inning mark since that 2016 season. He’s also seen his performance drop off significantly, working to a 5.29 ERA over 367 2/3 innings between 2017-22 for the Blue Jays, Astros, Giants, Nationals and Twins.
Now 30, Sanchez will presumably compete for long relief role in the Twins bullpen in the spring, or head to Triple-A as a depth starter.
Unfortunately, he got blister on his finger signing the contract
Sanchez had blister issues while he was a Jay but it was the shoulder surgery that really derailed his career after he was traded to the Astos
*Astros
Hopefully shoulders can end up being the new Tommy John surgery down the road where it’s not the career ender on a pitcher like TJ used to be. I wonder how many guys come back from shoulder surgery and continue to pitch at a similar level that they used to.
I’VE GOT BLISTERS ON ME FINGERS!
*launches drumsticks across the room*
Blister in the sun – big hands
4.71 ERA is a solid option?
If that’s your minor league depth I would say so. If you’re relying on that for 200 innings I would say no.
All the twins ever sign for their bullpen is “minor league depth” every year. They haven’t added one arm to their pen since last year
He did have a 3.43 FIP and ground ball rate of nearly 60%. Doubt he’s going to be anything more than AAA depth.
At least he got a combined no hitter. That was a weird trade. Dude comes in and makes history, only to never pitch for the team again.
I can’t see him taking away starts from the young guys in triple A. As a bullpen option it’s not a terrible risk.
He has always had command issues and poor K/BB rates. He relies on groundballs. I wonder if a guy of this Sanchez/Martin Perez type would be a top 100 prospect in 2023 or if they have evolved from those types. I never liked those types because command issues do often result in mistake pitches that result in homeruns, so a low HR/9 isn’t quite that sustainable with that, and hits also come from bad command. I never believe the hype, but his first 3 seasons were very good.
A lot of evlauators have given Quinn Priester Aaron Sanchez comparrisons. Though Priester has been much better throughout the minor leagues at limiting walks. Sanchez had a 12.5% walk rate from 2010-2014 while showing little improvement in the minor leagues, while Priester has had just an 8.8% walk rate while steadily decreasing it.
Priester also had better strikeout rates, but that’s definitely much appreciated insight, given how hard it is to just look up comps.
I actually calculated it, and Priester throguhout his minor league career so far and Sanchez from 2010 through 2014 had almost idenctical K% rates. Though Priester has decreased his walk rate from 2021 to 2022, and had it not been for two bad starts at the end of 2022, he would have had a sub-7% walk rate.
It’s been over since 2016.
Twins are bringing him in to pitch on the long spring bus trips.
Maybe he should consider the Moisés Alou hand conditioner.
Jorge Posada was also said to have a special method…
Twins need long relief. Only question is if the twins are actually going to change their pitching philosophy
This guy has one good year under his belt in his career and that was several years ago. Whatever good he could have become is gone and not coming back. He must be well liked.
To be fair he was quite good in all of 2014-2016.
’14-’15 were sample sizes. Especially ’14. That was quite a long time ago is my point.
youtu.be/T7KdMSXzqJA Can we get this version please?