The Toronto Blue Jays saved roughly $1 million when outfielder Jesus Sanchez was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With every game counting for the Blue Jays, who are in the thick of the American League Wild Card hunt, the club simply couldn’t afford to keep Sanchez around due to his poor defense and inconsistent bat.
By Arizona claiming him, the team also got another bonus due to saving money.
Blue Jays Saved Some Money
According to MLBTradeRumors.com, the Blue Jays saved roughly $1 million when Arizona claimed Sanchez off waivers.
The outfielder was due about $500,000 in remaining salary for the rest of 2026, but with the Blue Jays also deep in the luxury tax, the team is penalized at 90% for every dollar they spend, giving the team a savings of about $1 million when Sanchez got claimed off waivers following his DFA.
While the Blue Jays’ ownership group, Rogers Communications, is among the wealthiest owners in professional sports, it’s always nice to save a bit of money when you have an underperforming player be cut loose, which was the case here with Sanchez.
Arizona Can’t Use Jesus Sanchez in Playoffs
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this waiver claim is that Arizona can’t use Sanchez in the playoffs since he was acquired after the August 31 deadline for postseason eligibility.
Sanchez can play the final two weeks of the regular season for the Diamondbacks, who are battling the San Diego Padres for the third and final National League Wild Card spot, but if the Diamondbacks do make the postseason, Sanchez can’t play for them in it.
Therefore, this was quite a pricey acquisition for Arizona, as they are taking on about $500,000 in salary commitments for just two weeks of play from Sanchez.
If he can help Arizona make it to the postseason, then this move will have been well worth it for the Diamondbacks. But if Sanchez performs poorly, then it will be a waste of money for the Arizona front office.
Sanchez has one more year left of arbitration eligibility in 2027 after earning $6.8 million in salary this season between Toronto and Arizona.
Blue Jays Saved $1 Million With Jesus Sanchez Waiver Claim