The Toronto Blue Jays have finally moved on from Jésus Sánchez, designating the struggling outfielder for assignment on Friday and bringing up 30-year-old Rudy Martin Jr. in a corresponding move before a key three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles.
Toronto announced the swap on social media, noting that Martin Jr. was selected to the Major League roster and would be active that night, while Sánchez was headed to DFA.
Sánchez’s grip on a roster spot had been slipping for weeks. His play in the outfield had become a problem, and his latest miscue came over the weekend in Kansas City when he lost a routine fly ball in the sun. That mistake didn’t lead to a run, but earlier blunders - especially a rough outing in Tampa Bay against the Rays - had already put the Blue Jays in a bad spot.
For a club built around pitching and defence, carrying a player whose glove had become such a liability was no longer workable. An outfield featuring Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, and newcomer Brett Bateman fits Toronto’s identity far better.
The Blue Jays knew Sánchez wasn’t coming in as a defensive ace when they got him from the Houston Astros before the season. The bet was that his bat would carry enough weight to make the trade worthwhile.
That never really happened. He posted a .734 OPS and 101 OPS+ across 269 at-bats with eight home runs, but most of that damage came during a hot May.
Since the start of June, he’s hit only two homers.
What makes the whole thing more baffling is that Sánchez hasn’t always been this shaky with the glove. As recently as 2024, he ranked in the 80th percentile with two Outs Above Average. Somewhere along the way, the defence fell apart.
Whether that’s a confidence issue or something closer to the yips, the Blue Jays reached the point where they could no longer keep hoping it would turn around. One misplay can lead to another, and eventually the trust is gone.
Martin Jr. now gets his shot in the majors in his twelfth professional baseball season, and Toronto is hoping he can inject a little life into a team that looked tired and sluggish against the Athletics earlier this week. His biggest calling card is speed: he stole 12 bases in 27 games at Triple-A Buffalo with the Bisons. Even if the bat doesn’t come around, he can still help as a pinch runner and late-game defensive replacement.
In the end, Sánchez simply ran out of runway in Toronto. He looks better suited to a full-time designated hitter role somewhere else.
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