Report: Blue Jays sign Aaron Sanchez to minor-league deal

The Toronto Blue Jays are bringing an old friend back to the organization.

Toronto has agreed to a minor-league contract with right-hander Aaron Sanchez, a source told Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell.

Sanchez, 31, was once a rising star in the Blue Jays organization. He was a critical component to Toronto's 2015-16 playoff teams, working out of the bullpen during the 2015 run as a rookie before moving to the rotation full time the next year. In 2016, the former first-round pick finished seventh in Cy Young voting and earned an All-Star berth after posting an AL-best 3.00 ERA.

A series of injuries that coincided with the Blue Jays' decline derailed his career over the next few seasons, however. Since leaving Toronto in a trade at the 2019 deadline, Sanchez has made just 24 big-league appearances, and none since 2022.

Last year, Sanchez put up a 5.54 ERA with 68 strikeouts and 63 walks in 22 total appearances (20 starts) split between the Minnesota Twins' and Arizona Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliates. His season ended when he was released by Arizona in late August.

Once his deal with the Blue Jays is official, Sanchez will report to Triple-A Buffalo, where he'll work as a starter, according to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi. He'll act as depth in case of any struggles or injuries at the big-league level.

All told, Sanchez owns a lifetime 38-38 record with a 4.16 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 541 strikeouts across parts of eight big-league seasons with five teams. The Barstow, California, native also started a combined no-hitter for the Houston Astros in 2019.