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Ex-Blue Jays pitcher drawing interest.
A former Toronto Blue Jays top prospect could be returning to the MLB.
Aaron Sanchez hasn’t pitched in the majors since the 2022 season, as he took all of 2025 off after two years in the minors. However, the former top prospect is eyeing a comeback as he pitched in the Dominican Winter League.
Not only did Sanchez pitch in the Dominican Winter League, but he also won the award for Pitcher of the Year. Following his dominant showing in the Dominican Republic, MLB insiders Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that Sanchez is drawing interest from MLB teams.
“After sitting out last season, Aaron Sanchez won the Dominican Winter League’s Pitcher of the Year award this winter and is attracting interest from clubs, league sources said. In eight starts (46 1/3 innings) over the winter, Sanchez had a 1.55 ERA,” the article read.
“Sanchez, 33, has not pitched in the major leagues since 2022. Formerly a top prospect, Sanchez is best known for time with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was an All-Star in 2016, going 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA. From 2017-22, however, Sanchez experienced injuries and produced a 5.29 ERA. In 2024, he had a 7.92 ERA in 61 1/3 innings while pitching for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A team.”
Whether or not Sanchez will be able to land an MLB deal is uncertain. But, the right-hander could very well land a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, with an opt-out at the end of camp if he doesn’t reach the majors.
Sanchez has appeared in 174 career MLB games and was an All-Star in 2016, as he was also the AL ERA leader that same season.
Sanchez is a Former Top Blue Jays Prospect
Toronto selected Sanchez in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft with the 34th overall pick.
The right-hander made his MLB debut in 2014 and was a key part of the Blue Jays teams that went on deep playoff runs in 2015 and 2016. In 2013, MLB Pipeline had Sanchez as Toronto’s top-ranked prospect ahead of Roberto Osuna, Daniel Norris, and Marcus Stroman, among others.
As he was going through the minor leagues, Sanchez was deemed a future ace by MLB Pipeline.
“If you wanted to build a prototype of what a big, strong, projectable pitching prospect should look like, starting with Sanchez might not be a bad idea. … He has all the makings of a frontline starter if that happens as the Blue Jays start to take the kid gloves off,” his 2013 prospect report read.
Although Sanchez didn’t live up to the hype, he had flashes of dominance during his Blue Jays tenure, including being a hard-throwing reliever. He’s 38-38 with a 4.16 ERA over 685 innings in his MLB career.
Seranthony Dominguez Inks Deal With White Sox
Toronto did lose a reliever on Friday as right-handed pitcher Seranthony Dominguez signed with the Chicago White Sox.
Dominguez signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the White Sox, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Blue Jays acquired Dominguez before the trade deadline, and he was a high-leverage reliever for the team. However, he had some inconsistencies, as he went 4-4 with a 3.16 ERA, but with the Blue Jays, he was 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA. In the playoffs, Dominguez was 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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