JAYS GIVE AWAY FORMER GOLDEN CHILD
Sanchez traded to Astros on busy MLB deadline day
He was the chosen one, the golden child — the best, they thought, of the Toronto Blue Jays’ Big Three.
And just five years into a career of both brilliance and stunning disappointment, Aaron Sanchez is gone.
Put out to the road like yesterday’s garbage.
Given away in the latest Blue Jays handout in the continued mismanagement of assets, picked up in exchange for somebody’s else’s trash.
Nothing for nothing, Scotty Bowman used to call these kinds of deals, only Aaron Sanchez was anything but nothing.
Once upon a time, Sanchez was somebody’s pick to be rookie of the year, somebody’s pick to contend for a Cy Young Award before blisters and delivery problems and confidence and control meant no one in baseball would give up anything of consequence for him.
Of all the Blue Jays moves in recent years, this may be the saddest of all.
The Blue Jays get Derek Fisher in this trade, a deal that included the Blue Jays also giving up quirky Joe Biagini and minorleague prospect Cal Stevenson.
Fisher has a .282 on-base percentage in parts of three seasons in Houston, a little bit of power, a little bit of speed, and can play the outfield. The truth on Fisher: The Jays may have got something for Sanchez and friends or — just as likely — may have got nothing.
General manager Ross Atkins called the deal emotional, probably because he was asked about that.
“Every deal is hard to make,” he said.
“It’s our job to separate emotion. But we’re human.”
We’re human, too. We saw Sanchez at his best and at his worst and we desperately hoped the past would come back.
Now, like most of the Blue Jays’ pitching, he is gone. Just like that. The golden child no more.
IN OTHER MOVES:
Washington shored up their woeful bullpen. They picked up reliever Daniel Hudson from Toronto, sending pitching prospect Kyle Johnston in return. Hudson was 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 45 games, recording 48 strikeouts in 48 innings.
Johnston is 9-9 with a 4.03 ERA in 20 starts with Class-a Potomac this season. The 23-year-old is the Nationals’ 27th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Shortly after, the Nationals acquired reliever Roenis Elias from Seattle for pitching prospects Taylor Guilbeau and Elvis Alvarado.
Seattle also sent righty Hunter Strickland to the Nationals for left-hander Aaron Fletcher. The Nationals had the worst bullpen in all of baseball, entering Wednesday with a 5.97 ERA.
Zack Greinke is an Astro, traded by Arizona for four prospects: first baseman/outfielder Seth Beer (the Astros’ No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline), pitchers J.B. Bukauskas (No. 4) and Corbin Martin (No. 5), plus utility player Joshua Rojas (No. 22).
The Astros now have a rotation of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Wade Miley, Greinke and Sanchez. Between Verlander, Cole and Greinke, they have three pitchers in the top 10 in the majors in ERA, three in the top five in WHIP and three of the top five in innings pitched.
To plug the hole created by trading Greinke, Arizona acquired Mike Leake from Seattle for minor-league infielder Jose Caballero.
Atlanta added all-star closer Shane Greene from Detroit and reliever Mark Melancon from San Francisco. The Braves sent lefty Joey Wentz and outfielder Travis Demeritte to Detroit.
The Cubs added outfielder Nicholas Castellanos from Detroit in a deal for two pitching prospects: 2017 first-rounder Alex Lange and Paul Richan.
Minnesota acquired reliever Sam Dyson from San Francisco in exchange for three prospects: outfielder Jaylin Davis and right-handers Kai-wei Teng and Prelander Berroa.
San Francisco acquired Scooter Gennett from Cincinnati for either cash considerations or a player to be named later.
Oakland bolstered its starting rotation, acquiring right-hander Tanner Roark from Cincinnati for minor-league centre-fielder Jameson Hannah.
Tampa Bay acquired first baseman Jesus Aguilar from Milwaukee in exchange for pitcher Jake Faria.
The Cubs sent catcher Martin Maldonado to the Astros for utility man Tony Kemp.
Milwaukee picked up San Francisco left-hander Drew Pomeranz and reliever Ray Black in exchange for minor-league prospect Mauricio Dubon.
Pittsburgh dealt outfielder Corey Dickerson to Philadelphia for international signing bonus money and a player to be named later.
Arizona gave up top-rated prospect Jazz Chisholm on Wednesday to acquire 23-yearold Miami right-hander Zac Gallen.
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired St. Louis infielder Jedd Gyorko.