The Blue Jays’ curiosity in Anthony Santander is well-known, with Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press even itemizing the Jays and Angels “because the frontrunners” to signal the All-Star outfielder in a report final week. Toronto has formalized its pursuit of Santander by making an official contract provide, in line with KPRC’s Ari Alexander, although the scale and size of the provide isn’t recognized.
MLB Commerce Rumors ranked Santander ninth on our record of the offseason’s high 50 free brokers, and projected the longtime Orioles outfielder for a four-year, $80MM deal. Santander and his reps on the Beverly Hills Sports activities Council have been trying to high that quantity, as Jon Heyman of the New York Publish reported final month that Santander is wanting for a five-year contract price at the least $100MM.
Given what number of different notable free brokers have landed greater offers than anticipated this winter, it isn’t shocking that Santander is aiming excessive, and he might need some leverage since so many different large bats have already signed elsewhere. Past the Blue Jays and Angels, the Tigers, Crimson Sox, and Yankees have additionally been publicly linked to Santander, and it’s attainable one other membership or two is likely to be lurking to see how his market develops.
One crew that doesn’t look like within the working for Santander is Houston, as Alexander notes that the Astros are “not possible” to dole out the kind of contract that will principally be sure that the crew stays over the luxurious tax threshold. RosterResource’s present estimate of a $244MM tax quantity for the Astros already places them over the $241MM threshold, and there was hypothesis that Houston may look to maneuver a contract with the intention to duck beneath the road and reset its tax standing. As a result of the Astros had been tax payors in 2024, additionally they have to surrender two 2025 draft picks and $1MM in worldwide bonus pool cash for signing any free agent that rejects a qualifying provide, and Houston already paid these additional penalties to signal Christian Walker.
Including a strong switch-hitter like Santander would cowl a number of wants for the Jays, whose largely right-handed hitting lineup completed twenty sixth within the majors final yr in dwelling runs. Placing Santander behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (who contributed 30 of the Jays’ 156 homers in 2024) within the lineup would give Guerrero some useful safety, and there’s a ready-made defensive place for Santander in left area. For the reason that Blue Jays don’t have a set designated hitter, Santander might get chunk of at-bats from the DH spot, which additionally works since Santander’s outfield protection is common at greatest.
It has been a fairly quiet offseason for the Blue Jays, although not for lack of effort, because the crew has been linked to virtually each main free agent available on the market. Toronto made aggressive bids for each the highest hitter (Juan Soto) and pitcher (Corbin Burnes) obtainable, and experiences indicated that the Jays could have outbid the Diamondbacks’ $210MM contract with Burnes, however the right-hander took much less cash with the intention to pitch nearer to his dwelling in Arizona. For the entire Jays’ free agent dealings, their solely noteworthy deal has been a two-year pact with outdated good friend Yimi Garcia. Toronto’s different large offseason transfer up to now was a commerce with the Guardians that introduced second baseman Andres Gimenez and reliever Nick Sandlin into the fold, however Gimenez’s subpar hitting numbers during the last two seasons provides no promise that he’ll assist the Blue Jays’ lackluster offense.
Signing Santander would at the least quiet the narrative that the Jays are unable to land high free brokers, even when the warmth on GM Ross Atkins and crew president Mark Shapiro gained’t actually let up except the Blue Jays flip issues round on the sector in 2025. Arguably no crew in baseball faces as a lot short-term stress because the Jays, since Guerrero and Bo Bichette are each free brokers subsequent winter and there isn’t any indication that the membership is making any headway in extension talks. Bringing in Santander on a long-term deal could possibly be seen as a transfer to lock an enormous bat into the lineup even when Guerrero does depart, just like how the Gimenez commerce could possibly be interpreted as a transfer to shore up the shortstop place if Bichette departs.
