The Pirates pulled Sanchez off the scrap heap, signing him in 2004 after the Dodgers released him following two seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League. He reached the major leagues with the Pirates three years later and had another stint in Pittsburgh last season. Sanchez is a big, intimidating presence whose fastball reaches 98 mph, though it usually sits at 92-94. His curveball has improved significantly in recent years, giving him a second quality offering, which is all he needs in relief. He still struggles to command his changeup. While Sanchez throws hard, he also lacks a great feel for pitching and has control lapses that keep him from dominating. He also tends to put on weight, and the Pirates sent him out to minor league camp early in spring training last year because he reported out of shape. Sanchez has the talent to be a big league reliever if he rounds off the rough edges. He'll likely start this season back in Triple-A.
Once a trailblazer in the region, the Pirates have had a woeful track record of signing players from Latin America in recent seasons. They're slowly reversing the trend under the auspices of Latin American scouting director Rene Gayo. In the meantime, they made quite a find in Sanchez, whom they signed after he was released by the Dodgers in spring training in 2004 after pitching two years in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League. Sanchez promptly threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts for the Pirates' VSL team that summer. He's a big, hard thrower who can run his fastball up to 96 mph and routinely hits 92-93 mph. If he can keep improving his curveball, Sanchez could be a dominant late-inning reliever. He held his own in his first taste of the major leagues last season and showed good mound presence. Though he finished the season in the majors after making the jump from Double-A, he could use a little time in Triple-A to tighten up his curveball and add polish to his game.
Latin American scouting coordinator Rene Gayo has tried to increase the Pirates presence in Latin America since being hired in 2004. His first move was to sign Sanchez, who had been released by the Dodgers. He missed the final two months of the 2006 season with shoulder tendinitis and has battled similar nagging injuries throughout his career. Sanchez' calling card is a 96 mph fastball that he can throw past most hitters, especially working out of the bullpen. Sanchez needs to command his fastball better, and he lacks a quality secondary pitch, which is why the Pirates converted him from starter to reliever last season. His slider became much sharper after the conversion. He'll likely start this season in Double-A and will move quickly if he improves his control.
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