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AL Central News: Tigers decline option on Anibal Sanchez

Check out what’s going on in the American League Central.

MLB: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers have declined the $16 million club option on Anibal Sanchez. General manager Al Avila said that instead of bring back the pitcher, the team will pay the $5M buyout and release him to the free agent market.

Let’s all take a moment to be quietly shocked by this move. Sanchez has averaged a 4.43 ERA across his six years in Detroit. His start with the team was an optimistic one, however the righty couldn’t seem to shake lingering issues from his 2014 shoulder injury. Last year was the proverbial straw breaking the camel’s back with the 33-year old pitching a 6.41 ERA over 105.1 innings.

If anything, a team will probably offer Sanchez a minor-league deal for his sheer veteran presence alone. Stranger things have happened in baseball but as of now it looks like Sanchez’s time in the majors has come to a close.

Here’s what other news and rumors are floating around the American League Central: