Jesus Sanchez. William Liang-Imagn Images

Astros, Blue Jays swap Jesus Sanchez, Joey Loperfido in win-win trade

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 10:31 AM ET

After losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays have had built their offseason around trying to get back and win it all.

After signing right-hander Dylan Cease (seven years, $210M) to deepen the starting rotation, the Blue Jays also signed reliever Tyler Rogers (three years, $37M) to bolster the bullpen. Lacking another left-handed bat in the lineup, the Blue Jays also went out and made a trade with the Houston Astros to acquire outfielder Jesus Sanchez to fill that role.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Astros are receiving outfielder Joey Loperfido, who spent the first half of the 2024 season with the Astros, in return. The Astros will be on the hook to pay Sanchez $6.8M for this season, while the Blue Jays will pay Loperfido the league minimum.

Loperfido performed well in 41 games with the Blue Jays, hitting .333 with an OPS of .879, while Sanchez struggled, hitting .237 with an OPS of .699 in 134 games between the Astros and Miami Marlins.

The Astros are re-acquiring Joey Loperfido from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jesús Sánchez, GM Dana Brown announced. It’s a money saving move — Sánchez is owed $6.8 million while Loperfido is making the league minimum.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 13, 2026

Jesus Sanchez will add more pop to Blue Jays lineup, while Joey Loperfido gives Astros a solid outfield option

The Blue Jays lineup did have some power last season, ranking 11th in the majors in home runs (191), and had four players with over 20+ home runs. Sanchez has never hit 20 home runs in his career — he has a career high of 18 — but he provides the Jays with a platoon bat for George Springer and another outfield option.

It's a win-win trade, as Loperfido will give a boost to the Astros roster. Lacking an everyday left fielder after Jose Altuve struggled in that spot, Loperfido should get the runway to win the job out of spring training. Altuve will be the Astros' everyday second baseman, while occasionally playing in left field.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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