Marlins trade Sanchez to Houston. Here are the players Miami is getting
The Marlins parted ways with their longest tenured outfielder on Thursday, sending Jesus Sanchez to Houston less than two hours before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.
In return, Miami acquired right-handed pitcher Ryan Gusto and two prospects -- shortstop Chase Jaworsky (rated by MLB.com as Houston’s No. 13 prospect) and outfielder Esmil Valencia.
Gusto, 26, is 7-4 with a 4.92 ERA in 24 games and 14 starts for Houston in his first major league season. He has allowed 95 hits, with 28 walks, in 86 innings, with 87 strikeouts.
He won his last start, allowing one earned run in six innings in a 9-1 thrashing of Washington on Wednesday. But that start came five days after he permitted eight earned runs in three innings against the Athletics.
Houston selected him in the 11th round of the 2019 draft out of Florida SouthWestern State College. He had a 21-16 record and 4.31 ERA in 86 appearances, including 53 starts, in four minor league seasons, with 371 strikeouts in 363 innings.
Gusto, who had Tommy John elbow surgery in 2021, won the final job in the Astros’ bullpen this spring.
Jaworsky, 20, is hitting .242 with three homers and 29 RBI, with 24 steals in 27 attempts, at High A Asheville (North Carolina). He’s a 2023 fifth round pick out of Colorado high school.
Valencia, 19, is hitting .263 with five homers and 36 RBI at Class A Fayeteville (North Carolina).
The Marlins acquired Sanchez, 27, and pitcher Ryan Stanek from Tampa in 2019 in exchange for Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards.
Sanchez, who is earning $4.5 million this season, made his big-league debut in August 2020 and hit .243 (.310 on base) with 69 homers and 226 RBI in 532 games over parts of six seasons. He’s 23rd in Marlins history in games played.
This season, he was hitting .256 (.320 on base) with 10 homers and 36 RBI in 86 games and 337 at-bats.
He homered on Wednesday against St. Louis in what ultimately would be his final Marlins appearance.
The Marlins’ group of veteran outfielders now is headlined by Kyle Stowers and Dane Meyers. Center field prospect Jacob Marsee could get a big league opportunity at some point in the weeks ahead.
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 4:41 PM.
