logo
Blue Jays: Jesús Sánchez was a high-upside swing worth taking for the front office
alt
Photo credit: © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Feb 14, 2026, 13:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 14, 2026, 12:57 EST
Comments
The Toronto Blue Jays swung a trade with the Houston Astros on Friday, acquiring outfielder Jesús Sánchez while sending Joey Loperfido back to the Astros. The move came just days after the club announced Anthony Santander would miss five to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery. 
This trade is a win-now move for a Blue Jays team trying to get back to the World Series in 2026. Sánchez, 28, is a more established major league player than Loperfido. He’ll make $6.8 million this year and become a free agent after 2027, whereas Loperfido is under team control for five more years.
Sánchez is far from a finished product, although he could be an exciting project for the organization.
Sánchez possesses elite bat speed; his 75.9 mph average swing ranked in the 93rd percentile last year. In comparing him to his new teammates, his speed is the same as Addison Barger’s and less than one mph slower than that of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Like Barger and Guerrero, Sánchez hits the ball extremely hard. His 91.3 mph average exit velocity ranked in the 79th percentile. That was actually down from 2024, when his 92.5 mph mark put him squarely in elite territory amongst qualified hitters. 
Unlike Barger and Guerrero, however, Sánchez’s bat speed and average exit velocity didn’t translate into great production last season. His .699 OPS and 14 home runs split between the Miami Marlins and Astros are hardly eye-popping. However, it should be noted that Sánchez had a .740 OPS (104 OPS+) with 10 of those home runs before being traded at the deadline. 
Sánchez clearly wasn’t a great fit in Houston. Whether it was the ballpark, a mechanical issue, or the challenge of adjusting to American League pitching, he simply never got it going in his 48 games with the Astros. He may continue to struggle with the Blue Jays in 2026, but there are also plenty of reasons to believe he won’t. 
David Popkins helped several hitters get back on track in his first season with Toronto. One of them was Barger, who slashed an abysmal .197/.250/.351 in 2024 despite possessing elite bat speed. Popkins and company helped him make enough contact to hit for a decent average while crushing hittable pitches—Sánchez could benefit from this same guidance. 
The Blue Jays also have the roster flexibility to set Sánchez up for success, given his drastic platoon splits. He’s managed a .774 OPS against right-handers and a horrendous .520 mark against lefties for his career. They can deploy him against righties only with the Jays outfield depth, sitting him against lefties in favour of Davis Schneider or Myles Straw.
Loperfido could very well have also filled this role. He’s younger, cheaper, and a former top prospect. However, the Blue Jays sorely needed an infusion of power with Santander sidelined, and Sánchez fits that profile in a better way compared to Loperfido. He’s a playable platoon bat at worst and could be an impact batter with some adjustments. 
Sánchez isn’t entirely one-dimensional, either. He’s prone to defensive lapses in the outfield but still managed to be worth a passable -1 outs above average while possessing a strong arm. He also stole 13 bases last year after swiping 16 in 2024. 
Ultimately, while it hurts to see Loperfido go—especially without having gotten a chance to prove himself—it’s easy to see why the Blue Jays pulled the trigger on this deal. Sánchez raises their floor and ceiling this season as they eye another deep postseason run. 

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code JAYSNATION (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Featured

Editorials

Breaking News