Carl Edwards, Jr of the Chicago Cubs during a training game as part of the 2024 Chicago Cubs Spring Training at Sloan Park on February 27, 2024, in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs signed right-handed pitcher Carl Edwards and catcher Ali Sanchez to minor league contracts; the Iowa Cubs, the organization’s Triple-A affiliate, announced on their transaction page on April 5.
Edwards, 32, was born in Newberry, S.C., and has played nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago Cubs from 2015-19, the San Diego Padres in 2019, the Seattle Mariners in 2020, the Atlanta Braves in 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays 2021, and the Washington Nationals from 2022-23.
Edwards helped the Chicago Cubs win their third World Series championship in 2016, beating the Cleveland Indians in seven games to end their 108-year title drought.
Edwards signed a minor league contract with the Cubs on April 4 before being assigned to Triple-A Iowa.
During spring training, Edwards posted a 1.35 ERA in seven appearances, throwing 6.2 innings, allowing two hits, one earned run, three walks, and six strikeouts before being released on March 24.
Last season in the nation’s capital, Edwards appeared in 32 games out of the bullpen and posted a 3.69 ERA with two saves. He pitched 31.2 innings, allowing 31 hits, 13 earned runs, one home run, 17 walks, 24 strikeouts, and a 1.516 WHIP before he was elected free agency on November 2, 2023.
Edwards was placed on the 60-day injured list on August 28, 2023, with right-shoulder inflammation that forced him out for the remainder of the regular season and was also placed on the 15-day injured list earlier in the season on June 21, 2023, with the same injury.
During his nine-year career in MLB, Edwards has a lifetime record of 16-14 with a 3.54 ERA in 295 appearances with seven saves. He has pitched 280 innings and allowed 190 hits, 110 earned runs, 27 home runs, 146 walks, 328 strikeouts, and a 1.200 WHIP.
Sanchez, 27, was born in Carora, Venezuela, and has played two seasons in MLB with the New York Mets in 2020 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. Sanchez signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 1, 2023, and was invited to big league camp.
During spring training, Sanchez played eight games and batted .125 with 19 plate appearances, recording two hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts before being designated for assignment on March 28.
Last season, Sanchez played in 63 games with Triple-A Reno in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and hit .311 with 267 plate appearances, smacking 74 hits, ten doubles, 11 home runs, 43 RBI, 26 walks, 42 strikeouts, and a .866 OPS before he elected free agency on November 6, 2023.
Sanchez played 30 games for the Lara de Cardenales in the 2022-23 Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional regular season. He batted .221 with 85 plate appearances, ripping 17 hits, three doubles, eight home runs, six walks, and 13 strikeouts.
In 2022, Sanchez played between Triple-A Memphis with the St. Louis organization and Triple-A Toledo with the Detroit Tigers organization.
He played with Triple-A Memphis at the beginning of the 2022 season. In 30 games, he batted .255 with 123 plate appearances, recording 28 hits, five doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, 13 walks, and 29 strikeouts before he was designated for assignment on June 15, 2022.
During his two seasons in MLB, Sanchez has played in seven games with 14 plate appearances, batting .231 with three hits, two doubles, one walk, and three strikeouts.