Boras calls out Blue Jays for handling of Sanchez's contract

Scott Boras isn't pleased with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The agent believes his client, starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez deserved a substantial raise. Instead, Sanchez's contract was renewed for the major-league minimum $535,000 for 2017. Boras considers the move unfair and inadequate based on Sanchez's performance, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

The Blue Jays have a policy of renewing pre-arbitration contracts at the minimum if an offered raise is rejected. Sanchez will not be eligible for arbitration until 2018. Boras sees the renewal as a punishment.

"They offered him a very small raise above the minimum, which is not commensurate to his performance peers," Boras said. "Some teams have very low payment standards but they say if you renew we understand, but you still keep the money we’re giving you. Toronto is so rigid, they not only have a very antiquated or substandard policy compared to the other teams for extraordinary performance, but if you don’t accept what that low standard is, they then have the poison pill of saying, you get paid the minimum. It’s the harshest treatment in baseball that any club could provide for a player. That’s why few teams have such a policy."

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins sees the situation differently. The Blue Jays offered Sanchez a raise, and Sanchez turned it down. The result was based on a longstanding team policy.

"This is a policy that was put in place 10 years ago," Atkins said. "I don’t see it as punitive, we don’t see it as punitive because it’s your choice to not accept the higher number."

Sanchez, 24, was arguably the most impressive pitcher in the Blue Jays' rotation. He went 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA, striking out 161 batters in a career-high 192 innings. And despite pitching many of his games in hitter-friendly ballparks like Rogers Centre, he limited opponents to only 15 home runs.