In signing reliever Neftali Feliz to a one-year, $3.9 million deal the Pirates needed to clear a 40-man roster spot and they did so by designating for assignment catcher Tony Sanchez.
Sanchez was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Boston College and his path to the majors was supposed to be a quick one, but instead he’s logged just 155 plate appearances as a big leaguer through age 27 and hasn’t shown much promise in the minors either.
Two years ago I wrote a HardballTalk post about how seemingly every season the Pirates acquire a starting catcher and every time that happens Sanchez tweets about hearing the news. It was all kind of sad. At this point he projects as no more than a backup-caliber player, but it’s probably best for him to get a fresh start in a new organization.