Why Blue Jays cut ties with outfielder Jesus Sanchez before Orioles series

The Blue Jays have made a notable roster decision before tonight's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. 

Earlier today, the Blue Jays promoted outfielder Rudy Martin Jr. to the Majors. 

We now know who Martin will replace on Toronto's roster. 

According to a team announcement, the AL East club has designated outfielder Jesus Sanchez for assignment. 

The Blue Jays acquired Sanchez from the Houston Astros in a spring training trade that sent outfielder Joey Loperfido to the Astros. 

Sanchez's subpar offensive numbers and struggles against left-handers may be a significant reason why Toronto decided to make this move. 

In 99 games, Sanchez has a -0.1 bWAR with a .260/.318/.416 slash line and eight home runs. His 23.4% strikeout rate is slightly above the MLB average. 

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"More concerning than his performance at the plate has been his performance with the glove," Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote. "Defensive Runs Saved (-10) and Outs Above Average (-8) have both been harsh critics of his defensive prowess." 

The combination of Sanchez's underwhelming season at the plate and in the outfield could lead to him clearing waivers and becoming a free agent. 

Toronto needs a strong push to sneak into the postseason, and continuing to give Sanchez playing time would have likely done more harm than good. 

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