After the 2013 season, Anibal Sanchez’s 6-year $80 million contract seemed like a steal for the Detroit Tigers. He won the ERA crown with his 2.57 ERA, but his health has hampered his 2014 and 2015 seasons. Can the Tigers rely on Sanchez to pitch all of 2016?
In 2014, Sanchez only made 21 starts in an injury shortened season with a strained pectoral muscle. This injury hampered the Tigers rotation down the stretch and into the postseason. Sanchez’s health and Brad Ausmus’s poor management led the Tigers to pull Sanchez in the postseason, leading to a sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles.