Free agent slugger Anthony Santander is one of the top power bats on the market this winter and has drawn interest from a wide array of suitors, including the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that Santander is also of interest to the Yankees, now that Juan Soto is in Queens, and adds that the longtime Orioles slugger is seeking a five-year contract in free agency.
The switch-hitting Santander is coming off a career year in which he belted a personal-best 44 home runs. He’s heading into his age-30 season and doing so on the heels of a .235/.308/.506 batting line (129 wRC+). Santander doesn’t hit for much average and typically carries a pedestrian (at best) walk rate, but he’s been a consistent source of power for the O’s in recent seasons. Dating back to 2020, the former Rule 5 pick is a .245/.312/.476 hitter with 134 home runs, a 7.8% walk rate and a 20.6% strikeout rate. This past season’s 8.7% walk rate was the best of Santander’s career, while his 19.4% strikeout rate was his second-lowest in a full 162-game season.
Defensively, Santander hasn’t generated particularly strong reviews in recent seasons, but his work in 2024 drew harsher grades than usual. Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at -7, while Statcast’s Outs Above Average was at -2. Santander’s average sprint speed, per Statcast, sat in just the 18th percentile of big league players this past season (26.0 ft/sec). His raw arm strength was better than average, but Statcast still pegged his throwing value as well below average, likely suggesting some inaccurate and/or ill-advised throws.
Historically speaking, there’s some precedent for this skill set — defensively limited, corner-only slugger — still landing a five-year pact. Nick Castellanos comes to mind as the most recent example, having inked a five-year, $100MM deal with the Phillies just three winters ago. That same offseason saw Kyle Schwarber sign for four years and $79MM with the Phils. Prior to that, J.D. Martinez landed a five-year, $110MM deal with the Red Sox to serve as a full-time DH.
Each of Castellanos (140 wRC+), Schwarber (145) and especially Martinez (170) were coming off superior offensive seasons in free agency, however. Of the three, only Castellanos received and rejected a qualifying offer. Neither Schwarber nor Martinez were eligible for qualifying offers when they reached free agency, as both were traded during their respective walk years — Martinez from Detroit to Arizona, and Schwarber from Washington to Boston.
All of those reasons factored into MLBTR’s decision to “only” predict a four-year deal worth $20MM per season for Santander at the outset of free agency. Of course, in the six weeks since our Top 50 Free Agent Rankings were published, the market has proven to be the most aggressive in recent memory. While the position player market hasn’t yet to fully take shape beyond Juan Soto’s expectation-shattering $765MM contract, it’s been a bull market for starting pitching. Whether that will carry over to the offensive side of the market remains unclear, but Santander appears well positioned to cash in.
The Yankees, who were spurned by Soto, have already spent a stunning $218MM on Max Fried and just earlier today acquired Devin Williams from the Brewers. They still have a hole in right field, however, and while Santander wouldn’t make up for all of the lost production from Soto, “Tony Taters” would offer comparable home run power (with lower averages and dramatically lower on-base skills). Similarly, the Blue Jays have been trying to make a splash to upgrade their lineup but came up empty in their Soto bid. The Red Sox don’t need another corner bat at the moment, but if they deal from their stock of outfielders to acquire additional starting pitching, that calculus could change. Other teams seeking middle-of-the-order bats include the Nationals, Tigers and Dodgers, among others.
Santander’s market is in many ways linked to that of Teoscar Hernandez, a similarly powered-up bat with defensive questions and a rejected qualifying offer hanging over his head. Hernandez is two years older and thus seems likely to sign a shorter deal, but he could still land three or perhaps even four years if the market is strong enough.
Can’t blame him for trying but I’m guessing he gets 3
In today’s market, he’s going to get five-years or three-years with opt-outs after each season.
bad deal on day 1, 3 yrs max for santando
Kind of guy who will take Toronto’s money if Burnes uses them just to increase Giants or RSox/others bid. Not top tier but good.
Wait out his market, offer him 3 with an opt out after the second year.
There’s no way a team offers him 5. Especially when he declined is QA. 1 dimensional player with no upside.
He’s solid for power, but that’s it. One dimensional is a good way to look at it
my guess is the teams who could use him are comfortable waiting. the kind of player you sign if his price drops into a reasonable zone and you’re not heartbroken if he signs somewhere else
I still think Yankees are going to get Bellinger. He just seems like their type of guy.
His power numbers will trend up, especially if he hits in front of Judge.
Lol. Low walk rate, average defense, no speed, not young. Good luck.you are overrated like most of the Orioles
Which Orioles do you believe are overrated? I’d be interested to read an argument backing up that far-fetched claim.
The argument probably rests on not every highly-touted prospect instantly performing at an All-Star level and their early flameouts in the postseason. Otherwise, it’s a preposterous argument.
Lot of good fits. Yankees, Jays and Reds all make sense. I think he’s a risky signing but he’s gonna get paid regardless.
I think Yankees go for Bellinger
I mean, they can have him for just asking.
Good fit but the reds better not offer him five years
The Reds are not going over 3 years with any player. I don’t think the Reds will every sign another $100+ million dollar contract.
Tigers are looking for RH power, and his is more from the left side. I doubt they will get involved.
I think the dimensions of Camden yards played a big role in that. It’s one of the toughest places to homer from the right side of the plate and hitter friendly from the left side. His hard hit rate was actually slightly higher from the right hand side despite him getting better results from the left side due to the dimensions of the field.
Setting aside that it’s completely reasonable and expected that any and all free agents go for as many years and dollars as the market will yield them, I wouldn’t go beyond like 1 year/$14M w/ a club option for $17M and a $1M buyout for Santander- but I realize he won’t sign that kind of a deal.
5 years/$100M in this market seems completely rational but he’s not that kind of player. He feels more like Chris Carter than anything else- a guy with some raw power who has set himself up for a nice contract but might actually not be worth it at all in the long run.
I’d give him 5 years/$100M max if that’s just the boat every team is in right now with free agents and even relative to that level of contract, I’d rather sign him to like 2 years/$35M or 3 years/$46.5M etc. maybe 4 years/$56M…. and again, even then, he seems like someone who’s numbers could crater any year, for good.
As a Yanks fan I’d prefer to go after Profar.
Bellinger?
Bellinger for 1b, Profar for LF
True, forgot he played first
Profar seems like a risk that only makes sense if they had signed Soto.
Without Soto, reworking the offense as a team makes sense. Emphasizing contact with guys like Belliinger and perhaps Kim at 2B. They’ll still have plenty of pop with Judge, Belli, Jazz, Wells, Stanton, and whoever plays 1B (Goldy, Santana, Walker).
New version of Bellinger is probably a 20 hr guy. Not a tremendous amount of pop there.
I mean, I’m a Sox fan. I wouldn’t care if they get Bellinger either way. He just seems like a staple for the Yankees. They always look for past stars they can reinvent that have some pop left in them.
I don’t know what to expect. Bellinger hit 26 in 2023 and a loaded Yankee lineup might get him more than 20. I think the expectations are hard to tell with him
But he was over 2 WAR, not much less than Santander on the 2024 season
Yeah, they seem to think by putting pinstripes on an average player he turns into Lou Gehrig.
As an O’s fan, I hope he signs with the Yanks so you do the virtually impossible and end up with a defensive downgrade from Soto’s departure.
It will be a sad Christmas in Baltimore without Santa
It’s a Heyman update.
Wait, his agent isn’t Scott Boras is it?
Boras is not his agent.
If he considers signing with the Royals , it should include free barbecue for life
Not out of his mind but hard to place that right now. Who gets injured, who gets a contract extension on next years free agency list, who doesn’t, where is he marketable, 30k miles up just a hard read for 5 years.
good luck with that
He’s a three-year deal kind of guy. His slash line isn’t pretty, his defense isn’t great, all he has going for him is his slugging, he’s not going to get a big bag. Unless some club hits the panic button, three years is the best I’d do.
Having watched him for years, I’ll say this. He’s gotten better w/ age. Rather than learning how to stay off of pitches and take balls, Tony worked on hitting everything thrown near the plate. His contact skills is nuts. 12 pitch AB’s on a 0-2 count…that’s Tony. He grinds pitchers down…and he can hit hard/soft on back to back pitches be on time for each and put Damage swings on each.
So yeah, he hits dingers, duh. But outcomes have different processes, and it’s Tony’s process that works in a lineup.
It would terrify me to see him as a NYY because his AB’s are so not “Yankee” AB’s, it’d be just what Judge needs around him in the lineup. (of course I should also rely on NYY trying to change him into a Yankee AB, and this ruining his value to the line up).
The article says the Yankees have “a hole in right field”. That Aaron Judge guy might have something to say about that.
Someone better since that guy soto had plenty to say lol
Negative on 5 years, want a ring Tony, come down in years…our Dynasty is ready bruh! Redsox have Anthony and Bleis, Campbell and Mayer coming in Anthony so 3 years Max or pound salt. Hernandez too. Go with our young studs and SPEND THE MONEY ON SCOTT, BURNS, SASAKI, EXTENDING CROCHET, CASAS, BEHULER, BAUER, MANAEA, FLAHERTY…SPEND THE CASH NOT THE PLAYER CAPITAL…TRADE YOSHIDA, GONZALES, HAMILTON, REFSNYDER
Its good to want things
5/105 to the Jays
He’ll be lucky to get three.
He reminds me of Joey Gallo. That’s not a good comp. At least Gallo was a decent to good defender. He’s a one-tool player.
Not a 3 year guy.
No to a 5 year deal for Santander
This is the overpay year!
I can say that I saw his defense improve a lot over the years. He’s not a gold glove caliber guy but he isn’t a complete liability like Kjerstad is fixing to be. Not saying he can’t improve but holy moly…..long story short defensively Santander isn’t bad. A lot of power but super streaky.
Forget the older Santander his numbers outside of power stink, he’s only going to fade from here, same for Hernandez, Bregman and Arenado BUY Aces and Closers for money Boston and bring up Anthony and Campbell now, Mayer, Bleis later on as needed. Aces for cash Closers for Cash get ut done already before they’re gone! No more scrap heap reclamation project trash we’re full! Redsox Nation!