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, believing he could still contribute to a major league team. Sanó made the Opening Day roster and played at the corner infield spots and as a designated hitter. On April 21, he was hitting .300/.390/.420, although without the power he had previously displayed in his major league career.
Unfortunately, Sanó went on the injured list on May 1 with left knee inflammation. Since returning on June 25, he managed just 1-for-22, with the lone hit being a home run, and struck out nine times. The Angels decided to designate him for assignment when 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. Initially a power-hitting shortstop, he was the subject of a bidding war between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins. The Pirates scouts projected him as a combination of Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramírez. However, a fallout between the Pirates and Sanó’s agent allowed the Twins, a late entry, to sign him.
Sanó began his professional career as a shortstop in the Twins’ system, but as he filled out, he was moved to third base. Joining the Twins in 2015, he hit .269/.385/.530 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in just 80 games, placing third in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Sanó was an All-Star in 2017 when he hit 28 home runs. Despite a demotion to Single-A in 2018 due to struggles, he hit at least 25 home runs in a season four times, including 30 homers as recently as 2021.
However, he never reached the superstardom projected for him. Over his career, he hit a modest .233/.325/.477. Sanó’s biggest issue was his propensity to strike out, with a career strikeout rate of 36.5 percent. His walk rate, at 11.6 percent, was higher than the major league average but was skewed by higher rates early in his career. Defensively, Sanó was never rated as a plus fielder. At the corner infield spots, he accumulated -24 Fielding Runs Above Average and -40 Defensive Runs Saved over his career.
**The Last Word**
The release of Sanó by the Angels likely signals the end of his major league career. His 164 career home runs are noteworthy, but due to injuries, he has played just 48 major league games since 2022, including missing all of 2023. While another team might take a chance on him, there is nothing in his recent performance to suggest we’ll see him on a major league diamond again.
