After designating him for assignment last week, the Los Angeles Angels have requested release waivers on Miguel Sanó. The Angels signed the 31-year-old right-handed batter to a minor league contract for 2024. They saw enough to believe he could still help a major league team, and Sanó broke camp with them to start the season. Playing at the corner infield spots while also serving as a designated hitter, on April 21, he was hitting .300/.390/.420, albeit without the power he had displayed in his major league career.
Unfortunately, Sanó went on the injured list on May 1 with left knee inflammation. Since returning to active duty on June 25, he went 1-for-22, with the hit being a home run. He also struck out nine times during that stretch. The Angels saw enough and designated Sanó for assignment when the oft-injured Anthony Rendon returned from the IL.
Angels Release Former All-Star Third Baseman Sanó
Sanó was a highly regarded prospect as a teenager in San Pedro de Macoris in 2009. At the time, he was a power-hitting shortstop. He was the subject of a hot bidding war between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins. The Pirates scouts projected him as a combination between Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramírez. Somehow, the relationship soured between the Pirates and Sanó’s agent, and the Twins, a late entry into the sweepstakes, took the prize.
Sanó began his professional career as a shortstop in the Twins’ system, but as he filled out, he was converted to a third baseman. Joining the Twins in 2015, he hit .269/.385/.530, 18 HR, and 52 RBI in just 80 games. He placed third in American League Rookie of the Year Voting. Sanó was an All-star in 2017 when he hit 28 home runs. There was also a demotion to Single-A when he struggled in 2018. He hit at least 25 home runs in a season four times and 30 homers as recently as 2021.
However, he never reached the superstardom projected for him. For his career, he hit an un-Pujols-like .233/.325/.477. Sanó’s biggest problem was a propensity to strike out. He had a gaudy 36.5 percent strikeout rate for his career. His walk rate never compensated for the strikeouts. It was 11.6 percent, higher than major league average, but skewed by higher walk rates early in his career. Sanó was never rated as a plus fielder, either. At the corner infield spots, he was charged with -24 Fielding Runs Above Average (or is that 24 Fielding Runs Below Average?) and -40 Defensive Runs Saved for his career.
The Last Word
The release of Sanó by the Angels likely spells the end of his major league career. His 164 home runs for his career are nothing to sneeze at. However, due to injuries, his career since 2022 has consisted of just 48 major league games, including missing all of 2023. Another team may take a chance on him, but there’s nothing in his recent record to suggest we’ll see him on a major league diamond again.
Main Photo Credits: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
