Report: Anibal Sanchez Drawing Interest On Trade Market
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
With the Tigers reportedly struggling to deal some of their stars, another trade candidate has entered the mix: Anibal Sanchez.
According to Ken Rosenthal, Sanchez has been drawing interest from opposing teams.
#Tigers getting hits on A. Sanchez, owed $21M, incl $5M buyout. If DET could save, say, $10M on him and $3M on J. Wilson, would be start.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 7, 2016
Sanchez seems like an unlikely player to gain traction on the trade market. The 32-year-old posted a 5.87 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP last season and will make $16 million in 2017. (His contract includes a $16 million team option for 2018 with a $5 million buyout.)
But Sanchez may have redeemed some of his trade value by rebounding down the stretch in 2016. He pitched to a 4.19 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in his last seven starts of the season.
Sanchez won't net much of a return if the Tigers are able to move him, but the organization would benefit from unloading some of his salary. By packaging him with a more appealing player - like Justin Wilson, for example - the Tigers might convince a team to take on a decent chunk of Sanchez's contract.
Wilson is coming off another strong season in the bullpen and is expected to make about $2.7 million next season. Last week, it was reported that Wilson has been the most sought-after Tiger on the trade market.