On Friday morning, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired outfielder Jesús Sánchez from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfielder Joey Loperfido.
The 28-year-old Sánchez is a career .239 hitter. Appearing in 580 games over parts of five seasons with both the Miami Marlins and Astros, hitting 73 home runs, while driving in 238 runs across 580 career at-bats.
The Astros acquired Sánchez at the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline. But the outfielder struggled in 48 games with the club. Sánchez batted .199 with a .269 on-base percentage, hit four home runs, and drove in only 12. For the season, Sánchez appeared in 134 games. Batting .237, with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs.
Sánchez is set to make $6.8 million this upcoming season, before his final year of arbitration in 2027. It is a jump from the $4.5 million Sánchez earned in 2025.
Loperfido is a former seventh-round draft selection of the Astros in 2019. He was part of the return for Yusei Kikuchi at the 2024 MLB trade deadline, alongside Will Wagner and Jake Bloss. In limited playing time last season, Loperfido batted .333, with four home runs and 14 RBIs across 96 at-bats.
In parts of two seasons at the big league level, the 26-year-old Loperfido is a career .248 hitter. Sporting a .297 on-base percentage, eight home runs, and 39 RBIs. Loperfido replaced Anthony Santander on the postseason roster but received only one at-bat.
Where Does Sánchez Fit?
Sánchez joins a crowded group of outfielders vying for playing time. Among Sánchez are Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, and Davis Schneider, who are looking to fill out the Blue Jays’ 26-man roster.
With Santander out five to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery, the Blue Jays felt they were missing some thump in the lineup. Sánchez adds some thump from the left side of the plate. In 2024, Sánchez ranked in the top seven percent in MLB for average exit velocity and top five in hard hit percentage.
George Springer remains set to receive most of his at-bats at the designated hitter spot. Addison Barger will see time in right and at third, splitting reps with Kazuma Okamoto. But this acquisition signifies the Blue Jays want to continue to field the best lineup possible with the goal of winning a World Series.
Sánchez has appeared in all three outfield spots through his big league tenure, so the fit is natural on the Blue Jays roster.
Main Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images