<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Toronto Blue Jays started their <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/exploring-free-agency-trade-avenues-for-blue-jays-bullpen-rebuild">offseason shopping</a> by striking a deal with the Cleveland Guardians. Infielder Andrés Giménez was the main attraction of that deal but part of their return was right-handed pitcher <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/recently-acquired-reliever-nick-sandlin-brings-whiffs-to-the-blue-jays-bullpen">Nick Sandlin.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Jays acquire infielder Giménez and Sandlin in exchange for infielder Spencer Horwitz and outfield prospect Nick Mitchell. The addition of Sandlin will ultimately add depth to their weathered bullpen. </span></p>
<h2><strong>Background</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 27-year-old reliever has been in the Major Leagues now for four seasons. He is a home-grown arm with the Cleveland Guardians who drafted him in the second round of the 2018 MLB draft. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was drafted out of college, is a product of the University of Southern Mississippi and plays within the Conference USA Conference. He was ranked at #164 by <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/2018/draft/">MLB Pipeline</a> heading into his draft year and was selected ahead of his projected round slot by Cleveland. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 2018-2019 years was his timeline of development and advancement within the Guardians system. He developed at a good rate, leading to his big league debut on May 1st, 2021 against the Chicago White Sox. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sandlin is 1st-year arbitration eligible in 2025, and is set for free agency in 2028. </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Full trade: Spencer Horwitz and minor league OF Nick Mitchell for Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin. No cash considerations.</p>
<p>&mdash; Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1866639369760571788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2><strong>Analysis:</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sandlin pitched 57 and 2/3 innings in 2024, allowing 46 hits, 12 home runs, and 24 earned runs through 68 appearences. Of the 246 batters he faced, the right-hander struck out 68 and walked 27. He finished with an 8-0 record, and a 3.75 ERA. The </span>Guardians reliever produced a 95th percentile whiff% (33.7) last season.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sandlin has four major league seasons under his belt, totaling a 3.27 ERA with a 1.147 WHIP in 195 and 1/3 innings and 209 games. He totaled 223 strikeouts (10.3 K/9) and 92 walks (4.2 BB/9). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The right-hander stands at 5-foot-11 with a wonky but consistent delivery. Sandlin works primarily from the stretch with a double pump set-action and works glove side on a side-arm release. His release is almost from the three o’clock setting. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He has a <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-sandlin-680704?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb">four pitch-mix</a> leading with a slider, and following with a four-seam fastball, splitter and sinker. His slider is the most used, throwing 349 of them this season; 53 times more than the fastball. The slider sits 79-82 mph and holds a put-away percentage of 19.6% and is not primarily used as his &#8220;put away pitch&#8221;.  </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fastball sits 93-95 mph while his sinker is his least used pitch but holds a decent put-away percentage at 22.2%. He doesn’t flash it often but when he does, it drops at 28.7 inches. </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Quickly on Nick Sandlin&#8230; he has an elite tool (his splitter) and a quirk (his delivery/release).</p>
<p>Which makes him the type of pitcher I love. </p>
<p>He will take up the space in my brain vacated by Trevor Richards. <a href="https://t.co/vI9YbdUllS">pic.twitter.com/vI9YbdUllS</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Chris Black (@DownToBlack) <a href="https://twitter.com/DownToBlack/status/1867592985845936484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The splitter is his third most offering and values at a 31.1% put-away rate, the highest of them all. It sits at a 1588 spin rate with 39.8 inches of vertical drop. The splitter forces dry-hacks and roll-over hacks. Last season, Sandlin&#8217;s offspeed run value came in at the 97th percentile (+9), with his split-finger holding batters to a .100 average and a .200 SLG with a .151 wOBA. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the Guardians last year, Sandlin produced a 37.2% groundout rate and 31% flyout rate. His stuff is not overpowering but it dances and is delivered in an unorthodox way. The right-hander will be in short relief, averaging 1-2 innings per game, seeing maybe three at a maximum. </span></p>
<h2>Working with the Blue Jays</h2>
<p>Sandlin may be a guy to work situationally. He may be summoned on a batter-to-batter bases, with expectations to get his guy. As his stuff is not overpowering, he does get burnt with missed spots &#8211; hence the career 1.3 HR/9 rate.</p>
<p>Overall his command is satisfactory, but he needs to spot-up and locate his off-speed well. Sandlin may also be a look-changer, coming out for an inning or two after the starter is pulled.  He&#8217;s projected to see another 50-60 innings this season.</p>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Toronto Blue Jays started their <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/exploring-free-agency-trade-avenues-for-blue-jays-bullpen-rebuild">offseason shopping</a> by striking a deal with the Cleveland Guardians. Infielder Andrés Giménez was the main attraction of that deal but part of their return was right-handed pitcher <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/recently-acquired-reliever-nick-sandlin-brings-whiffs-to-the-blue-jays-bullpen">Nick Sandlin.</a> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Jays acquire infielder Giménez and Sandlin in exchange for infielder Spencer Horwitz and outfield prospect Nick Mitchell. The addition of Sandlin will ultimately add depth to their weathered bullpen. </span>
<h2><strong>Background</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The 27-year-old reliever has been in the Major Leagues now for four seasons. He is a home-grown arm with the Cleveland Guardians who drafted him in the second round of the 2018 MLB draft. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He was drafted out of college, is a product of the University of Southern Mississippi and plays within the Conference USA Conference. He was ranked at #164 by <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/2018/draft/">MLB Pipeline</a> heading into his draft year and was selected ahead of his projected round slot by Cleveland. </span>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The 2018-2019 years was his timeline of development and advancement within the Guardians system. He developed at a good rate, leading to his big league debut on May 1st, 2021 against the Chicago White Sox. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sandlin is 1st-year arbitration eligible in 2025, and is set for free agency in 2028. </span>

https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1866639369760571788
<h2><strong>Analysis:</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sandlin pitched 57 and 2/3 innings in 2024, allowing 46 hits, 12 home runs, and 24 earned runs through 68 appearences. Of the 246 batters he faced, the right-hander struck out 68 and walked 27. He finished with an 8-0 record, and a 3.75 ERA. The </span>Guardians reliever produced a 95th percentile whiff% (33.7) last season.

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sandlin has four major league seasons under his belt, totaling a 3.27 ERA with a 1.147 WHIP in 195 and 1/3 innings and 209 games. He totaled 223 strikeouts (10.3 K/9) and 92 walks (4.2 BB/9). </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The right-hander stands at 5-foot-11 with a wonky but consistent delivery. Sandlin works primarily from the stretch with a double pump set-action and works glove side on a side-arm release. His release is almost from the three o’clock setting. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He has a <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-sandlin-680704?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb">four pitch-mix</a> leading with a slider, and following with a four-seam fastball, splitter and sinker. His slider is the most used, throwing 349 of them this season; 53 times more than the fastball. The slider sits 79-82 mph and holds a put-away percentage of 19.6% and is not primarily used as his "put away pitch".  </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fastball sits 93-95 mph while his sinker is his least used pitch but holds a decent put-away percentage at 22.2%. He doesn’t flash it often but when he does, it drops at 28.7 inches. </span>

https://twitter.com/DownToBlack/status/1867592985845936484

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The splitter is his third most offering and values at a 31.1% put-away rate, the highest of them all. It sits at a 1588 spin rate with 39.8 inches of vertical drop. The splitter forces dry-hacks and roll-over hacks. Last season, Sandlin's offspeed run value came in at the 97th percentile (+9), with his split-finger holding batters to a .100 average and a .200 SLG with a .151 wOBA. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With the Guardians last year, Sandlin produced a 37.2% groundout rate and 31% flyout rate. His stuff is not overpowering but it dances and is delivered in an unorthodox way. The right-hander will be in short relief, averaging 1-2 innings per game, seeing maybe three at a maximum. </span>
<h2>Working with the Blue Jays</h2>
Sandlin may be a guy to work situationally. He may be summoned on a batter-to-batter bases, with expectations to get his guy. As his stuff is not overpowering, he does get burnt with missed spots - hence the career 1.3 HR/9 rate.

Overall his command is satisfactory, but he needs to spot-up and locate his off-speed well. Sandlin may also be a look-changer, coming out for an inning or two after the starter is pulled.  He's projected to see another 50-60 innings this season.

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Blue Jays Scouting Report: Right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin

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