Former Blue Jays All-Star Resurfaces With Diamondbacks Organization

His high-water, All-Star season saw him go 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA, and securing enough votes to finish seventh in Cy Young balloting. But that was 2016 for Toronto Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez. Since then, a series of blisters and other injuries, plus poor performance, have kept him from coming anywhere close to replicating that success in majors. 

He's now joined his second organization of 2023, signing a minor league deal with the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks. 

A former All-Star is taking the mound tonight 🤩

The @Dbacks have signed RHP Aaron Sanchez to a Minor League Free Agent contract and assigned him to Triple-A Reno!

Sanchez is scheduled to start tonight against the @SaltLakeBees! pic.twitter.com/BFgWVKPpmC

— Reno Aces (@Aces) August 9, 2023

But the excitement was short-lived, as Sanchez got off to an inauspicious debut Wednesday night, surrendering eight hits and six runs (four earned) in 4.1 innings with the Snakes' Triple-A team in Reno. He won't be getting the call-up anytime soon with outings like that.

The D-Backs rotation, however, is desperate for help. It has generally been Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, then pray for rain (doesn't quite have the same alliteration as 'Spahn & Sain & pray for rain', the famous Boston Braves mantra of the 1940s). 

Rookies Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson have not gotten it done, and Zach Davies and Tommy Henry are currently on the IL. 

Sanchez, who last pitched in the majors in 2022 with the Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins (to a 6.60 ERA), was recently released by the Twins from his minor league deal there, as he had no chance of cracking that strong rotation. 

But another outing like he had Wednesday night, and he won't be cracking the Arizona staff either. 

Photo: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports