Veteran first baseman Carlos Santana already has put together an illustrious major-league career. In more than a decade and a half, he has been named an All-Star and won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.
He also has played in 30 postseason games and been to the World Series with Cleveland in 2016. The Cubs, however, ended that run by coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win their first World Series in 108 years.
‘‘I came here to help make a championship,’’ Santana said Monday, sitting in the home dugout before the Cubs’ 7-6, 10-inning victory against the Braves at Wrigley Field. ‘‘Before I retire, I want to [be] a champion.’’
Santana joined the Cubs after signing with them in time to be eligible for the postseason. The Cubs activated him and right-hander Aaron Civale, whom they claimed off waivers Sunday from the White Sox, as the calendar flipped to September and rosters expanded to 28 players.
‘‘Santana was a guy that we talked about at the [trade] deadline,’’ president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. ‘‘Obviously, [we] didn’t get a deal done then. But this made sense. We’ve had some struggles against left-handed pitching. He’s a switch-hitter and a really good defensive first baseman. This gives us a veteran bat off the bench, and it’s easier to carry that when you have the extra guy.’’
To make room for Santana on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment. They also recalled outfielder Kevin Alcantara from Triple-A Iowa and optioned outfielder Owen Caissie to Iowa.
The Cubs have almost completely remade their bench since spring training, with right-handed hitter Justin Turner serving as the last man standing. They now have a pair of veterans with more than 14 years of service time (Santana and Turner), an accomplished super-utility player (Willi Castro) and a promising youngster (Alcantara).
Santana said several teams expressed interest in him after he cleared waivers and the Guardians released him to give him a chance to land with a playoff contender. But Cubs manager Craig Counsell, whom Santana previously played under with the Brewers, was the only skipper who reached out.
‘‘It certainly made us comfortable,’’ Hoyer said of Counsell’s connection with Santana. ‘‘Whenever you add a guy that’s used to being a starter and you’re putting him in a role where he’s going to be on the bench, that is something you have concerns about. And it kind of made that easier.’’
Santana was in a more regular role with the Brewers when they acquired him in 2023 for the stretch run and postseason, but he still might get at-bats in high-leverage spots for the Cubs this month and into the playoffs.
‘‘Experienced switch-hitter, been in a bunch of situations,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘He’s at a stage of his career where he’s interested in one thing — just being a part of fun, being a part of winning — and he’s earned a great reputation in the game. It’s always good adding people like that.’’
Santana already has connected with first baseman Michael Busch, who is in his second full big-league season. They plan to start taking ground balls together Tuesday.
‘‘First base is an interesting position in a lot of ways,’’ Hoyer said. ‘‘It’s pretty low on the defensive spectrum, but when you have a really good one — and I think Michael is that and Carlos is that — there’s a lot of nuances to that position.
‘‘Any little tidbits help because [Santana] has played there a lot more than Michael.’’
While Santana prepared for the game against the Braves, memories of the 2016 World Series flitted across his mind. He later got a small taste of what it was like to play for the home team at Wrigley, striking out as a pinch hitter for Turner in the ninth inning before staying in the game at first base.
‘‘I’m here, and I’m happy for that,’’ Santana said before the game. ‘‘We’ll see what happens my first at-bat. I think [I’ll be] a little bit nervous, but we’ll see.’’