Blue Jays get a costly consolation prize in Anthony Santander: Law

I was afraid this was going to happen: After multiple free-agent pursuits that saw the Blue Jays come up short, they finally landed a big name … but it took a huge overpay to do it. They gave Anthony Santander a five-year, $92 million deal, with player options and deferred money and other bells and whistles, a deal that should certainly make them 2-3 wins better this year, but that I really doubt is going to age well at all.

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After near-misses on big names, Blue Jays sign OF Anthony Santander

Santander is coming off a career year where he set personal bests in homers, walks, and wRC+, although he also had the lowest BABIP and batting average of his career as well. It’s real power, and he’s swinging for the seats, attacking the ball with intent and a lot of lift in his finish to try to get the ball in the air, which produces a bunch of longballs and also a lot of pop-ups. He’s a below-average defender in an outfield corner and likely to decline further now that he’s in his 30s. The glove is still playable out there for now, with the need to DH increasingly likely over the course of his contract.

The Blue Jays did need a bat like Santander’s, as their existing options for the outfield corner were Thoughts and Prayers, neither of whom had a particularly good 2024. George Springer might be toast, as he’s 35 and his production has declined in five straight full seasons. He still has two years and just over $48 million remaining on his deal, which no one is going to take, and they need to just bench him and give Santander those at-bats. The other corner is still available, although I’d like to see Joey Loperfido, acquired in the Yusei Kikuchi trade, get a shot there. They need to stop wasting at-bats on guys like Davis Schneider, who got 454 PA to be a replacement-level player last year, mostly in left field, or Ernie Clement, an outstanding defender at third base who had a .284 OBP and drew 10 unintentional walks in 139 games. Give that playing time to guys who either get on base or hit dingers, please and thank you.

This is a great result for Santander. He was one of the last big bats standing in free agency, but he fits the type of player who ages poorly into their 30s: it’s more power than hit, no speed, and poor defense already at a corner. He could have a huge 2025 season, and maybe that will justify the commitment if it helps the Jays contend for the playoffs, but the outlook for five years — assuming he doesn’t opt out, and I assume he won’t — is grim.

There isn’t a lot left for any teams still looking to upgrade their offense, a list that at least should include the Mariners and Giants, but I can’t fault them for letting Santander get by them given the deal’s length. He might have been the best fit for the Mariners, who need power more than they need OBP help, but their need is more acute on the dirt than in the outfield. The Giants are a better roster fit, but they have power and need more OBP help. The best remaining outfield free agent is probably Jurickson Profar, who had a career year of his own in 2024, but was so bad in 2023 that the Rockies released him, so I certainly won’t blame any team that wants to throw on a hazmat suit before those negotiations.

(Photo: Nick Turchiaro / USA Today)