Sanchez looks to be ‘in a good place’ after making spring training debut
DUNEDIN As the member of the Blue Jays coaching staff responsible for developing and working with catchers, John Schneider has a unique view of every pitcher in camp. And when it comes to Aaron Sanchez, who made a breezy and efficient 2019 Grapefruit League debut on Friday afternoon, Schneider has a long history.
He coached him in rookie ball and then in Vancouver and every spring training since Sanchez was drafted. Schneider has seen the electrifying starter in action. So it’s fair to take Schneider’s enthusiasm about the debut of the right-hander as serious.
“It’s what we’ve expected from him and it looks very similar to where he has been when he is at his best,” Schneider, whose official title with the team is major league coach, said on Friday.
The workload was light for Sanchez’s debut on Friday, as scheduled. He faced the minimum of batters through two innings of work, walked one and struck out another while throwing 24 pitches. When he left the game after the second, Sanchez pumped his fist into his glove in obvious satisfaction.
“The main thing was just going out there and throwing strikes,” Sanchez said, after an outing in which his fastball topped out at 95 miles per hour. “Today was just one of those days kind of getting a gauge of where you’re at. I’m in good shape.”
Schneider said a key for Sanchez in his bid to bounce back from two disappointing, injury-riddled seasons is his extreme competitive- ness.
“He’s in a good place right now,” Schneider said. “Him as a competitor, you put him up against probably anybody. And he probably has a little something to prove after those unfortunate injuries.” Sanchez and Stroman are expected to form a one-two punch at the front end of manager Charlie Montoyo’s rotation. Both are coming off injury, however, and both are eyeing big bounce backs.
ARMS RACE
Cautioning that the transactions aren’t yet official, Blue Jays bench coach Dave Hudgens said on Friday that the acquisition of some veteran pitching should be of help to the youthful Jays.
A source confirmed that the team has reached terms with reliever Bud Norris — who will sign a mi- nor-league deal pending a physical, plus potential starter Clay Buchholz.
“They just offer leadership,” Hudgens said. “They’ve been through the wars. They’ve been in the league quite a while. (They potentially offer) a starter and a reliever, so they offer both angles.” Buchholz is certainly an interesting add, likely jumping into the mix for the Jays fifth starter. Buchholz was 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 16 starts for Arizona last season.
GAME ON
Hits and misses from the Jays split-squad day at home vs. the Pirates and in Orlando vs. the Braves: In Dunedin, the game was declared a 1-1 tie after nine. Of note, seven Jays pitchers combined to allow just one earned run against the Pirates while the Toronto offence continued to languish. In Orlando, the Braves won 4-3 in a game started by Sean Reid-Foley. With the loss and tie, Toronto’s spring record dipped to 1-5-1. Former Jay Josh Donaldson was not in the Atlanta lineup.