JUAN SAMUEL SANTANA CHAVEZ
Chepe Zazueta
ICHIRO CANO, SASAGI SÁNCHEZ, MANNY BARREDA AND ILDEFONSO RUIZ JOIN TOMATEROS DE CULIACÁN
CULIACÁN, Sinaloa.—The Tomateros de Culiacán added four players to their preseason camp for the 2026-2027 Mexican Pacific League season, with the additions of Ichiro Cano, Sasagi Sánchez, Manny Barreda, and Ildefonso Ruiz.
Barreda and Ruiz reported on Wednesday, September 30, to the training sessions taking place in Culiacán, while Cano and Sánchez joined this Thursday, October 1. Cano, who is preparing for his fourth season with the organization, arrives after an outstanding summer with the Daytona Tortugas, a Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, where he played in 110 games and finished with 109 hits, a .297 batting average, seven home runs, 64 RBIs, 67 runs scored, and 68 walks, in addition to an .834 OPS. His performance earned him selection to the Florida State League All-Star Game and placed him among the circuit's top hitters.
With the Tomateros, the infielder had a .292 average, 21 RBIs, and his first home run in the LMP last winter. The Guindas' bullpen, meanwhile, welcomed Sasagi Sánchez, who reported to play in his eighth season with the Tomateros. The right-hander from Mazatlán arrives after playing with the Charros de Jalisco in the Mexican Baseball League, where in 2026 he posted a 1-1 record, a 4.91 ERA in 25 appearances, one as a starter, with 25.2 innings pitched, 26 hits allowed, 14 earned runs, five walks, 19 strikeouts, and a 1.21 WHIP. Sánchez also has experience in high-pressure situations and previously had seasons as a reliever with good numbers, including 2025, when he finished with a 4.25 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in 29.2 innings with Jalisco. Upon his arrival, the pitcher expressed his satisfaction at returning to wear the Guindas' colors and called on the fans to support the team in their quest for the championship.
Regarding the pitching staff and catching, Manny Barreda and Ildefonso Ruiz are already working with the group preparing in the Sinaloan capital. Barreda, born in Sahuarita, Arizona, was active in the summer with Saraperos de Saltillo and Charros de Jalisco; between both teams, he made 17 appearances, 15 as a starter, pitched 75 innings, allowed 96 hits, struck out 48, walked 33, and had a 5.64 ERA, with a 1-6 record and a 1.72 WHIP. With the Charros, where he finished his summer participation, he improved his numbers to a 4.28 ERA in 40 innings, with 22 strikeouts and a 1-3 record. Ruiz, known as “Ponchito,” returned after playing in 2026 with the Wichita Wind Surge, a Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins; in 93 official at-bats, he hit .194, with 18 hits, two home runs, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, three stolen bases, and an .591 OPS. The catcher from Tijuana debuted with the Tomateros in the 2023-2024 season and will once again seek to establish himself as one of the primary options behind the plate.
