Blue Jays ‘demote’ Aaron Sanchez, promote Aaron Loup

The Blue Jays switched Aarons. Aaron Loup comes up, and they send all-star Aaron Sanchez to Dunedin.

Sanchez has a 12-2 record and a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts, but the important number is the 156.1 innings pitched. The Jays were going to have him skip a start at some point, so why not use his roster spot for another reliever.

I guess the ‘why not’ is why possibly piss off a pretty important member of the team. I’d imagine the team has talked to him and will have made sure the understands the reasoning.. He definitely won’t pitch for the Dunedin, I’m not sure that he’ll actually go there, but then I don’t know what the rules are about him travelling with the major league team, while he’s not on the roster. I’d like to keep him around the team if I could

Why Dunedin? Nicer weather? Maybe mostly because the team has there rehab facilities there, it would be a better place to workout.

Aaron Loup has been up and down a bit this season. He’s pitched in 10 games with the major league team. He has a 6.00 ERA in 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts.

In Buffalo Loup has a 1.08 ERA in 16.2 innings, with 17 hits, 2 walks, and 23 strikeouts.

Today would have been the last day the Jays could have sent Sanchez out, since he needs to be off the roster for 10 days (unless there is an injury) and he needs to be on the roster August 31 to be part of the playoff roster.

The rules have changed....

The 40-man roster: A Club's 40-man roster is a list of all the players currently reserved by a Club at the Major League level. The Major League Rules permit each Club to reserve a maximum of 40 players (excluding players on the 60-day disabled list) at any one time. From September 1 through the end of the season the entire 40-man roster is eligible to play for the Club at the Major League level. From Opening Day through August 31, however, a Club may use only 25 of its 40 players in the Majors.

Aaron still gets a full season of service time, as he won’t be down for 20 days, but he’ll be out something like $25,000, plus meal money. I’m guessing the Jays will make that up to him somehow. Maybe a really nice Christmas gift.

In September they won’t need to send him down to skip a start, since rosters expand.