Blue Jays DFA Jesús Sánchez, Call Up Rudy Martin Jr.

[Bryan Jaeger]

The Jesús Sánchez experiment has ended. He’s been a liability on defense, with routine fly balls being dropped. At the plate, he’s been a decent addition, hitting .260/.318/.416 with eight home runs, 24 runs, and 35 RBIs. However, with the Blue Jays fighting for a Wild Card spot, the poor defense couldn’t be ignored any longer, and he couldn’t be moved to DH, with George Springer implanted in the role.

The Blue Jays have plenty of outfield depth, which made DFA'ing Sánchez an easier decision. In a corresponding move, Toronto has called up Rudy Martin Jr. for his MLB debut. He's a 30-year-old who has played 12 seasons in the minor leagues. He was traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Baltimore Orioles on July 18. Two days later, he was DFA’d, and on July 23, the Blue Jays claimed him. 

Since joining Triple-A Buffalo on July 25, he’s posted a .730 OPS with three home runs, 16 runs, and 11 RBIs. He also has 12 stolen bases in 27 games. Martin brings more speed to a team that has improved its running game. In August, they stole successfully on 20 of 22 attempts, which was the first time they attempted more than 20 steals in a month since April 2025. The most important part of this move is that the defense drastically improves. Martin, a left-handed bat, will likely share a platoon role with Myles Straw.

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