Anthony Santander has been linked to a number of groups this winter, and Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press provides two new names to that checklist within the Angels and Tigers. Curiously, Petzold describes the Angels and Blue Jays “because the frontrunners” to signal Santander, whereas the Tigers view the switch-hitting outfielder as one thing of a backup plan if they will’t signal Alex Bregman.
With Juan Soto and now Teoscar Hernandez off the market, Santander stands out as the highest free agent possibility remaining for groups in want of outfield assist. He was reportedly on the lookout for a five-year contract even earlier than Hernandez re-signed with the Dodgers, and with the Yankees and Crimson Sox becoming a member of the Blue Jays, Angels, and Tigers as identified suitors, there would possibly sufficient curiosity for Santander to land that longer dedication though he’s coming into his age-30 season.
Santander has hit .245/.312/.476 with 134 residence runs in 2571 plate appearances since Opening Day 2020, translating to a 119 wRC+. Santander saved his most general productive season (3.3 fWAR) for his stroll 12 months, as he hit a career-best 44 homers together with a .235/.308/.506 slash line in 665 PA for the Orioles. He had comparatively even splits from each side of the plate, and posted above-average numbers by way of barrel, hard-hit ball, strikeout, and stroll charges. This manufacturing earned Santander his first All-Star and Silver Slugger nods, and he even obtained a little bit of down-ballot help in AL MVP voting.
There additionally some clear minuses, as Santander isn’t a lot of a defender or baserunner, and his offense is basically tied to his energy manufacturing. That doesn’t essentially bode effectively for hitting in such homer-suppressing ballparks as Angel Stadium or Comerica Park, which creates a Catch-22 for the Angels and Tigers as they search out some much-needed pop for his or her lineups.
The Angels’ emergence as a doable favourite for Santander isn’t essentially a shock, given how the Halos have been aggressively scouring the marketplace for hitting assist. Los Angeles has already introduced Jorge Soler to city in a commerce with the Braves, and added the likes of Travis d’Arnaud, Scott Kingery, and Kevin Newman to the bench combine. On the pitching finish, Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Hendricks had been signed to free agent offers.
Santander would require an even bigger dedication than any of this group. MLB Commerce Rumors ranked Santander ninth on our checklist of the offseason’s prime 50 free brokers, and projected him for a four-year, $80MM pact. RosterResource estimates the Angels’ 2025 payroll to sit down at just below the $190MM mark, so a $20MM common annual worth for Santander would nonetheless convey the Halos below their $214.7MM payroll for the 2023 season. This might match with proprietor Arte Moreno’s declare from October that the Angels can be growing spending this winter, if not in extra of their 2023 expenditures.
If Santander was signed to presumably tackle his normal proper subject function, he’d be part of Mike Trout and Taylor Ward because the beginning outfielders, with Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak shifting to backup obligation. There was some reviews that the Angels are exploring buying and selling from this outfield group, which might maybe subtract Adell or Moniak, or left subject could possibly be opened up if Ward was dealt. Trout might conceivably be shifted to left subject as a strategy to scale back the wear-and-tear on his physique because the Halos try to preserve their star wholesome. Because the Angels’ beginning lineup is generally stuffed with right-handed hitters, Santander’s switch-hitting means provides some steadiness.
Amusingly, Santander would additionally steadiness out a Tigers lineup that leans in the other way. Detroit’s abundance of left-handed hitting has made the addition of at the very least one large righty bat a transparent precedence this winter. As Petzold noticed, the signing of Gleyber Torres didn’t actually handle the lineup imbalance, as Torres will basically change one other righty hitter in Spencer Torkelson (as Colt Keith will transfer to first base to accommodate Torres at second base).
In Detroit, Santander’s transfer into proper subject would shift Kerry Carpenter into DH obligation in opposition to right-handed pitchers, with Torkelson or Matt Vierling then seemingly performing because the right-handed aspect of that DH platoon. Vierling may additionally function the common third baseman on this situation the place the Tigers signed Santander and never Bregman, relying on how third base prospect Jace Jung adjusts to large league pitching in his first full MLB season.
The Tigers’ payroll scenario is fairly clear over the long run, and signing an enormous bat like Santander to a long-term deal can be the kind of win-now transfer many anticipated from Detroit after the staff reached the ALDS final season. Conceivably, the staff might signal each Bregman and Santander, but it appears extra seemingly that they’d simply intention for one of many two gamers. Bregman’s anticipated contract is greater than double what Santander is projected to obtain, but the Tigers could also be extra prepared to pay his steeper price ticket. Whereas a niche stays between Detroit’s most popular provide and Bregman’s reported objective of a $200MM deal, Petzold writes that “the Tigers look like all-in on Bregman.”
As a result of the Tigers are a revenue-sharing recipient, they’d pay a lesser penalty to signal a participant like Santander who rejected the qualifying provide — Detroit must hand over its third-highest decide within the 2025 draft. Because the Angels aren’t a revenue-sharing staff and so they didn’t cross the posh tax line final season, they’d have to surrender their second-highest decide within the 2025 draft in addition to $500K in worldwide bonus pool cash.
The Blue Jays would pay the identical penalty because the Angels, and Toronto would possibly effectively have much more incentive than both the Halos or Tigers to splurge for a confirmed bat like Santander. The Jays have to date come up brief on all of their main free agent pursuits this offseason, and are sorely in want of offensive assist for what could be Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette’s final season in Toronto.
