Mets decide to release reliever Sanchez
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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Duaner Sanchez said Monday that he was prepared to "fight" for a job in the Mets' bullpen. What Sanchez didn't realize was that he already had lost.
General manager Omar Minaya was unimpressed with Sanchez's outing against the Orioles on Monday and told the reliever yesterday morning that he had been released - about an hour before he was supposed to board the team bus to Viera.
Sanchez was scheduled to pitch against the Nationals in the second of his first back-to-back appearances of spring training. But the Mets apparently had seen enough. Sanchez, who had a 3.60 ERA in five games, struggled again Monday. He allowed three hits and one earned run with a walk and two strikeouts in one inning.
At his pre-injury best, Sanchez's velocity was consistently in the mid-90s. But he never came close to that after the 2006 traffic accident that separated his shoulder and sent his career into a spiral. On Monday, Sanchez touched 89 mph a couple of times, but hovered more in the mid-80s.
Later that night, Minaya huddled with his advisers and came to the conclusion that it wasn't beneficial to keep Sanchez around. In talking about the move yesterday morning, Minaya suggested that Sanchez's career was finished.
"We looked at his overall performance based upon last year to where he is now and we didn't see the improvement that we felt was needed to be effective in the major leagues," Minaya said. "We do have some young guys that are coming on, at least that we feel good about in camp right now.
"In fairness to him and in fairness to us, we just felt like if he's not going to be on the team, let's make a decision on this now and at the same time, give him the opportunity to be with another club."
There was a financial component to factor in, as well. The Mets avoided arbitration with Sanchez by agreeing on a one-year contract worth $1,687,500. By releasing him before March 18, the Mets are responsible for roughly one-sixth of that salary, or 30-days' termination pay, which comes out to about $275,000. After that date, players are owed 45-days' termination pay.
The Mets had the option to non-tender Sanchez this winter, but figured it was worth the minor investment to see if he had anything left - knowing they could cut their losses at this point. Though Sanchez had angered team officials in the past with his spotty work ethic, the Mets said that was the not the case this time. Sanchez showed up early in Port St. Lucie during the offseason and appeared to be in good shape.
He never seemed to know he was in any serious danger. Sanchez was asked Monday about earning a spot on the roster and sounded confident about his chances.
"Since I've been in baseball, every year is the same," Sanchez said. "I start slowly and try to catch up and do a little bit and a little bit. I don't think there's a reason to try to come out and try to impress everybody from the beginning. They know what I can do. I know what I can do. So I'm just trying to build my arm up like it's '06."
Maybe someone should have told him otherwise. Even Jerry Manuel said Monday that Sanchez was "headed in the right direction." Then again, the manager never specified which direction he meant - toward a spot in his bullpen or the unemployment line.
"You are always optimistic," Manuel said before yesterday's game. "But at the same time, I guess you have to be realistic. It's kind of unfortunate for him, obviously, but I think that it gives him an opportunity to get another job someplace else if that's what he'd like to do."
Sanchez never fully recovered from the taxi accident on the eve of the trade deadline in 2006. He was 5-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 49 appearances before the season-ending crash, and his rehab was derailed the following year in spring training when he cracked a small bone in the front of that same shoulder and missed the entire season. Last year, Sanchez went 5-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 66 appearances for the Mets.
"To his credit, he really was trying hard," Minaya said.
CAREER IN WRECK
Duaner Sanchez never was the same after separating his shoulder in a taxi accident on July 30, 2006. His Mets numbers before and after the accident:
GIPHERHRBBSOWLSVBLSVERA
2006 4955.143 16 3 2444 5 1 01 2.60
2008 6658.1 54 28 62344 5 1 0 1 4.32
