MIAMI, FL—The lone move the Miami Marlins made on the day of Thursday’s MLB trade deadline was trading longtime outfielder Jesús Sánchez to the Houston Astros in exchange for pitcher Ryan Gusto and prospects Chase Jaworsky and Esmil Valencia. Sánchez made his return to Miami as an opponent on Monday.
“Honestly, I thought that they were going to keep me up until the end of the season,” Sánchez told a small group of reporters in Spanish prior to the series opener. “It’s a business. They had their prospects that they wanted to call-up, so I thought it was a good trade for me and for them as well.”
Sánchez told the media that although he assumed he’d stay, he was prepared for the inevitable with his name being in rumors throughout the last month or so.
“About one week before, I was feeling pretty frustrated,” said Sánchez. “I was overthinking about my future here—that maybe I would stay, maybe I wouldn’t. I was overthinking it, but now that it’s here, I feel great and happy about it.”
The previous time Sánchez was dealt was exactly six years earlier on 2019 deadline day when he went from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Marlins. Back then, he was only 21 years old and he hadn’t made his debut.
“When I was traded the first time, I was a lot more nervous. I had been with Tampa my whole life. Having new teammates that I was unfamiliar with on the Marlins, I was just nervous and really didn’t know what direction I would go. This time around, I don’t think it was the same. This time around, I had a better understanding of who my teammates were here in Houston and everything is well.”
Up until the trade, Sánchez was slashing .256/.320/.420/.740 with ten home runs, 36 RBI and a 104 wRC+. He was on pace for a third straight season of above-average offensive production.
Per Astros manager Joe Espada, Sánchez will be platooned. Houston has faced four straight right-handed starting pitchers since adding Sánchez, so he has been in the lineup every game thus far. On Monday, he started in left field and drove in the first run for the Astros with an RBI double off of Sandy Alcantara. He finished the night going 1-for-4.
Sánchez said that he is someone who will bring “energy” and “a lot of winning” to his new club. He also expressed love for his former teammates.
“I hope they keep winning. I wish them nothing but the best and that God continues to bless them because they are a good team.”
