The Toronto Blue Jays designated outfielder Jesús Sánchez for assignment on Friday, ending a brief and uneven tenure that began with a spring-training trade and closed with defensive miscues and fading production.
The move was announced via the MLB transaction log.
His roster spot went to 30-year-old outfielder Rudy Martin Jr., who was selected from Triple-A Buffalo and will make his major-league debut more than a decade after being drafted.
Sánchez, 28, has been in the majors since his debut with the Miami Marlins on Aug. 21, 2020. Over seven seasons with Miami, Houston, and Toronto, he has hit .242 with 81 home runs and 273 RBIs.
The Blue Jays acquired him from the Astros on Feb. 13 in exchange for Joey Loperfido, hoping the left-handed bat would help replace power lost when Anthony Santander underwent shoulder surgery. He agreed to a $6.8 million salary to avoid arbitration.
In 99 games with Toronto, Sánchez slashed .260/.318/.416 with eight homers and 35 RBIs and a .734 OPS. He was useful against right-handers (.276/.333/.448 in 267 plate appearances) but offered almost nothing against lefties in a small sample. After a strong May, he hit just .216 over his final 102 at-bats.
Manager John Schneider said the club wanted more slugging and better defense.
Defense was the larger problem. Sánchez graded poorly by Defensive Runs Saved (-10) and Outs Above Average (-8), among the worst marks in the outfield.
He lost fly balls in the Tropicana Field roof in August and dropped another last week in Kansas City. Combined with limited playing time behind Myles Straw, Brett Bateman, Nathan Lukes, and George Springer, he finished below replacement level.
Sánchez has one more year of club control, but a claim would likely mean a raise toward $8 million, making him a long shot to be picked up this late in the season.
He is expected to clear waivers and become a free agent, available at a prorated minimum through the rest of 2026.
The Blue Jays (73-74) remain in the mix for the final American League Wild Card spot as they open a series against Baltimore.
For a veteran who has been a major leaguer since 2020, Friday’s move is a reset, not necessarily an ending.
