Blue Jays: Big names that could get traded this offseason
Aaron Sanchez
The 26-year-old right-hander has had a season of up and downs and has once again suffered from injuries. Last season it was the blister, this year it’s a right index finger contusion that has kept him away since June 23rd. Just like Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez has two more years of control after this one so his value on the trade market could be reasonably high. However, with health issues in the past two seasons that value has dropped a lot.
The 2016 AL leader in ERA has shown flashes of being a potential ‘Ace’ for a team, something that certainly adds value. Sanchez’s value during the offseason will strongly depend on how he pitches once he comes back from the disabled list, which is expected to be around the end of August as he’s already started a rehab assignment in the minors.
Because he’s only going to have a month to bring his value back up it’s hard to imagine the Blue Jays trading him away this offseason. It would definitely be a better move to wait for the 2019 season to start and perhaps, if the team is out of playoff contention and his value is where it belongs, trade him at the 2019 trade deadline.
Once again the dilemma of trading him or not is very similar to Stroman’s. There are good arguments for both the ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Like Stroman, we will hear rumors surrounding the former 1st round pick this winter. Considering where his value is at, and his potential, the probability of seeing Sanchez being traded this winter is lower than seeing a Stroman trade. I wouldn’t expect a Sanchez trade but there definitely is a possibility.