Pirates obtain Sanchez in trade
Jeff Tully
Things haven’t gone well the past few weeks for Freddy Sanchez.
On July 17, the former Burbank High and Glendale Community College
baseball standout was demoted to the minor leagues after spending
less than two months with the Boston Red Sox.
Since being sent down, Sanchez struggled offensively and was not
hitting well.
Three days ago, Sanchez sustained a minor injury to his right
foot in a game playing for the triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox and was
sidelined after suffering slight tendon damage.
However, Sanchez’s career received a boost Thursday after he was
traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Red Sox and Pirates worked out their second deal in as many
weeks on the final non-waiver trading day, getting the transaction in
just minutes before the deadline.
Boston obtained right-hander Jeff Suppan -- a graduate of Encino
Crespi -- reliever Brandon Lyon and pitching prospect Anastacio
Martinez from Pittsburgh for Sanchez and minor-leaguer Mike
Gonzalez, a left-handed pitcher. Lyon was traded by Boston to
Pittsburgh in a two-for-two pitching swap on July 22.
Sanchez, a 25-year-old infielder, said although he is disappointed
to be leaving a quality organization like Boston, he is happy about
the possibility of earning a spot as an everyday player for
Pittsburgh.
“I think this is a great opportunity for me and I’m really
excited,” said the 1996 Burbank graduate.
“It is really a matter of me starting over with a new team. Also,
I know I will have to prove myself all over again.
“But I will just continue to give everything that I have and
hopefully that will pay off.”
Sanchez, who was taken in the 2000 first-year player draft in the
11th round by Boston, has nothing but good things to say about an
organization that has helped him improve as a player.
“I really know nothing professionally except playing in the Red
Sox’s organization,” he said.
“They have just really been great in helping me improve as a
player and helping my career. It is pretty hard to leave a place like
that. The whole trade is sort of bittersweet for me.
“But as a team, [the Red Sox] are pretty stacked in the infield.
So I think I will have a better chance to play more with the
Pirates.”
Since being sent down to triple-A, Sanchez said he has not felt
comfortable at the plate, and admits he has struggled at times.
“I kind of lost a little something with my swing, he said. “It’s a
matter of getting back to where I want to be.”
That struggle has hurt his confidence.
“I have to work some to get my confidence up,” he said.
“I want to be able to have a lot of confidence in myself so I can
help out my new team as much as possible.”
In two stints with Pawtucket this season, Sanchez batted .341 (72
for 211) with a .493 slugging percentage, 25 runs batted in, 17
doubles and 31 walks in 58 games.
However, since returning to triple-A, Sanchez had a .208 average
(11 for 53) in 13 games and missed Pawtucket’s last two contests with
the injury to his foot.
Sanchez -- who was called up for the final month of the 2002
season -- had a .235 batting average with two runs batted in 34
at-bats with the Red Sox.
He was flawless in the field, playing second base, shortstop and
third base without committing an error.
His biggest accomplishment came on the field with his defense. On
June 14, he came close to tying a major league record in a game
against the Houston Astros. Sanchez got the start at third base and
had 10 assists, one away from sharing the all-time mark of 11.
Before he joins the Pirates, Sanchez said he is headed to
Nashville and will report to Pittsburgh’s triple-A team -- the
Sounds. He expects to join the major-league squad when his foot is
healed.
The 1996 Foothill League Player of the Year at Burbank, Sanchez
was selected in the first-year player draft the by the Atlanta
Braves in the 30th round. However, instead of signing a contract,
Sanchez attended GCC.
He helped lead the Vaqueros to a share of the Western State
Conference title and was named WSC Southern Division Player of the
Year in 1998, batting .407 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI.