The Toronto Blue Jays traded for Jesus Sanchez, acquiring him from the Houston Astros while sending Joey Loperfido. As the Blue Jays ramp up Spring Training, this trade brings yet another weapon to the lineup. After the trade, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins beamed about Sanchez, according to baseball insider Hazel May.
“Incredibly effective against right-handed pitching. Slots in as one of our better options on a very regular basis. Don't want to limit him in any way because he's a very good defender, a really unique athlete,” Atkins told the media after the trade.
Sanchez spent some time with the Miami Marlins and Astros last season. In 134 games between them, he hit .237 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs with a slugging percentage of .395 and an on-base percentage of .395. Much of that was due to Sanchez's slump in August, which hurt his stats.
Sanchez will get an opportunity to make the starting lineup because Anthony Santander will be out 5-6 months because of left labral surgery. Therefore, this will be a chance to see what he can do, while possibly replacing Santander for that timeframe.
Sanchez has never been a consistent hitter. In fact, his highest batting average was in 2023, when he hit .253. Sanchez is a power hitter, usually all or nothing. But his 18 home runs in 2024 were the most he has hit in a season. Regardless, this will be a golden chance for Sanchez to show what he can do on a team trying to make it back to the World Series. Sanchez will report to his new team and try to make the best impression before the season begins in late March.
