Tony Sanchez, a 28-year-old former top catching prospect released by the Pirates last month, has joined the Blue Jays on a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Sanchez never lived up to the hype of being the No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 draft and the Pirates repeatedly brought in other catching options rather than give him a permanent gig.
However, his minor-league track record is decent enough that a change of scenery could be all Sanchez needs to find a niche as a backup catcher in the majors. He’s hit .259 with a .681 OPS in brief stints as a big leaguer and has a career .758 OPS in parts of four seasons at Triple-A.
Sanchez will compete with Josh Thole to back up clear-cut starter Russell Martin in Toronto, but Thole’s experience catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey could make things tough on Sanchez.
