Anibal Sanchez not planning to pitch in 2021

Aníbal Sánchez is no longer planning to pitch this season, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). While Sánchez received some major league offers, according to Heyman, none were at his desired level. Specifically, Sánchez was seeking an incentive-laden deal that would’ve increased the contract’s value based on the number of games he started. Apparently, no teams put forth an offer of that kind to his liking.

Sánchez didn’t sign over the winter due to concerns about COVID-19 and accompanying protocols. He conducted a few showcases for teams during the early part of the regular season, but there’d been no word of his plans since late April. It’s now clear he won’t be signing anywhere this year.

There’s no indication Sánchez is contemplating formal retirement at this point, but it’s not out of the question he’s already made his last MLB appearance. Sánchez will be 38 years old by the start of the 2022 season, and it’s difficult to imagine he’ll receive loftier offers next winter after sitting out the year. The veteran righty was a productive member of the Nationals’ 2019 World Series winner, but he’s coming off a difficult 2020 campaign.

Sánchez has appeared in parts of fifteen major league seasons. He’s made 350 appearances (327 starts) and worked to a 4.05 ERA/4.08 SIERA across 1948 1/3 innings. Sánchez’s best season to date came with the Tigers in 2013, when he led the American League in ERA (2.57) and FIP (2.39) en route to a fourth-place finish in AL Cy Young award voting.