The SF Giants have cut a familiar name from their minor league ranks, releasing veteran left-hander Juan Sánchez from Triple-A Sacramento over the weekend, according to the team’s transaction log.
Sánchez had been one of the longest-running players in the organization, dating back to when the Giants signed him as an international free agent out of Venezuela during the 2017-2018 signing cycle. That class was a modest one for San Francisco, and Luis Toribio was the headliner with a $300,000 bonus out of the Dominican Republic. Sánchez’s bonus was never reported.
His path through the system had long carried the feel of a pitcher waiting for the next call. That was especially true in 2024, when he turned in a strong Cactus League showing and seemed to put himself in position for a look with the big club. Instead, he posted a 2.61 ERA with 13 strikeouts and four walks in 10.1 innings and still came away without a roster spot, one of the more surprising omissions of that spring.
What followed was a rough stretch. Sánchez struggled to throw strikes for Sacramento, walking 28 batters in 34.1 innings, and later underwent Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2025 regular season. He did get back on the radar with an Arizona Fall League invitation last season, where he logged a 2.70 ERA in seven outings, and he also received an invite to spring training, though he again fell short of making the club.
The Giants entered this season with multiple left-handed options already ahead of Sánchez on the depth chart, both on the 40-man roster and in the upper minors. Even so, the big-league bullpen has had its own issues from the left side this year.
Sánchez’s 2025 numbers for the River Cats didn’t help his case. He posted an 8.16 ERA with 16 strikeouts and 21 walks in 14.1 innings, and with minor league roster spots getting tight at this point in the year, that likely played into the decision to move on.
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