Giants decline options on Barry Zito, Andres Torres

A couple of easy decisions here for the Giants …

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that the San Francisco front office has officially declined an $18 million club option on left-hander Barry Zito and a club option of unknown value on outfielder Andres Torres. The players are now free agents.

Zito, 35, posted a brutal 5.74 ERA (58 ERA+) across 133 1/3 innings during the 2013 regular season — the final chapter of that seven-year, $126 million free agent contract that he received in December 2006.

Torres, also 35, hit .250/.302/.342 with two home runs in 300 plate appearances this past summer.

Zito got a $7 million buyout from the Giants. It’s not clear whether Torres got anything.

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The Blue Jays placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list with a contusion in his right index finger, per a team announcement on Saturday. The assignment is retroactive to Friday. In a corresponding move, righty Marcus Stroman was activated from the DL (right shoulder fatigue) and will take the mound for the Blue Jays at 9:07 PM ET tonight.

Sanchez, 25, is in his fifth season with the club. He hasn’t looked his sharpest so far this year, going 3-5 in 15 starts with a career-worst 4.52 ERA, 5.1 BB/9 and 7.6 SO/9 through 79 2/3 innings. It’s not yet clear how long he’ll be sidelined, though he could miss as little as one turn in the rotation before returning to the roster in the next week or two.

Sanchez isn’t the only struggling starter in Toronto’s rotation, either. Per MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm, the team placed southpaw Jaime Garcia on the DL (right shoulder tenderness) as well, with lefty reliever Tim Mayza scheduled to take his spot on the roster. In 13 starts this season, Garcia carried a 2-6 record, 6.16 ERA, 4.5 BB/9 and 8.2 SO/9 over 61 1/3 innings. Any further decisions pertaining to the rotation — including Tuesday’s starter against the Astros — have yet to be publicly addressed.