The Toronto Blue Jays renewed the contract of right-hander Aaron Sanchez for the 2017 season, according to Hall of Fame journalist Bob Elliott.
Before players are eligible for salary arbitration, teams can unilaterally dictate the terms of their contracts. When teams decide on salaries without agreement from players, the teams simply renew their contracts.
While the terms of Sanchez’s deal aren’t known, he earned $517,800 last year and will obtain a raise. For context, Noah Syndergaard, who’s also in his final year before arbitration, will earn $605,500 after having his contract renewed by the New York Mets.
Sanchez, who recently switched agencies from Legacy to the Boras Corporation, will be eligible for arbitration for the first time following the 2017 season. At that point the 24-year-old will be positioned to earn a substantial raise, especially if he builds on his 2016 success.
Sanchez led the American League in ERA last year, posted a 15-2 record and finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting. The 2010 first round draft choice pitched 192 innings during the regular season plus 11.2 more in the playoffs, surpassing 200 in total.
Many MLB players have reportedly had their contracts renewed this spring, including Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa.
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