This is a major move which signals the Blue Jays’ intentions down the stretch, as they entered Friday just one game back of the Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot with just 15 regular-season games to go. Toronto acquired Sánchez in a trade with the Astros in Spring Training, sending Joey Loperfido to Houston, and while the big swing on power upside made sense at the time, Sánchez’s fit on this roster has faded recently.
With just eight home runs in 99 games, Sánchez hadn’t taken the next step the Blue Jays were hoping for when they’d acquired him, which made it difficult to play him over some of their other options recently when his defensive struggles were considered. Out of 313 qualified fielders this season in MLB, Sanchez is tied for 300th in Fielding Run Value at minus-9.
Now, the Blue Jays shift even more towards speed and defense in their outfield. They’ve wanted to be more aggressive on the bases, and with Brett Bateman’s recent breakout, we’ve seen exactly what that can look like. Martin, the 30-year-old outfielder, immediately becomes a late-game threat.
Martin has stolen 45 bases this season in 91 games between the Royals and Blue Jays organizations, while being thrown out just eight times. It’s been an incredible path for Martin to get here, but he’ll have a role immediately.
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Martin was selected out of high school by the Royals in 2014 in the 25th round of the MLB Draft, which no longer exists in today’s 20-round Draft. He served in Kansas City’s system until 2021, when he elected free agency.
Martin has taken a winding journey to reach his Major League debut since then. He signed with the Nationals in January 2022, but he was released that August. After two seasons out of affiliated baseball, which featured time in MLB Partner Leagues with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association and the York Revolution of the Atlantic League, as well as with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League, Martin re-signed with the Royals on a Minor League deal in May 2025 and stayed with the club until this season, before eventually landing with the Blue Jays’ organization in July.
Martin has played all three outfield positions throughout his career, and could see the odd start against right-handed pitching, which he’s typically hit better. The likelier role, though, is as a late-game specialist.
Myles Straw could see more playing time in left field with Sánchez gone, and that’s a wise approach for the Blue Jays, who have been stuck in low-scoring games and need the best defense they can field. Now, even in these situations, Toronto would have a late-game speedster on the bench in Martin. It’s a similar role to the one Straw played during the 2025 postseason run, or even the one Daulton Pompey played in ‘15.