In their highest-profile, and what they expected to be their most impactful free-agent signing last offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays inked former Baltimore Orioles All-Star outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract. But in the end, the signing of Santander turned out not to be impactful at all. At least not this season.
The Blue Jays quite literally got to the World Series and came within two outs of winning their third championship in franchise history without Santander, who went on the injured list with a shoulder subluxation on May 30 and returned only for the final four games of the regular season.
Now, less than 11 months after signing him and with four years and more than $80 million remaining on his contract, Santander may be on his way out in Toronto. At least that is what Sportsnet baseball writer Ben Nicholson-Smith seemed to imply on Monday.
Santander Ineligible for World Series Roster
Santander managed to appear in five postseason games for the Jays, getting in 16 plate appearances with just three hits, a walk and five strikeouts before being scratched again in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners.
That time, Santander was forced out due to “tightness” in his shoulder, and removed from the roster to be replaced by taxi squad outfielder Joey Loperfido. Because Santander was dropped from the ALCS roster, MLB rules rendered him ineligible to play in the World Series.
Blue Jays ‘Willing to Talk’ About Santander’s Contract
In the 54 regular season games he managed to play, Santander was a disappointment to say the least. After his 44-home-run All-Star 2024 season in Baltimore, the 31-year-old switch-hitter managed just a .565 OPS and .175 batting average with six home runs in 194 at-bats.
As a result, Santanderâs contract is now “‘underwater,â to borrow the jargon preferred by executives. Put another way, the deals now favor the players, not the Blue Jays,” Nicholson-Smith wrote.
“Under those circumstances, the Blue Jays would presumably have to eat money or take on another hefty contract in any trade, but theyâre willing to talk,” the Sportsnet reporter continued.
Santander’s Fate May Depend on Tucker
The Blue Jays are currently considered the favorites to sign former Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker, perhaps the most sought-after free agent hitter on the market, according to Fansided scribe Zachary Rotman. If Toronto is successful in signing the 28-year-old former Houston Astros first-round draft pick, that could spell the end for Santander north of the border, according to another MLB analyst, Aaliyan Mohammed of Newsweek.
“The Blue Jays already proved they do not need Santander,” the Newsweek scribe opined on Monday. “Should Tucker sign with the Blue Jays, they have no reason to hold on to Santander.”
Nicholson-Smith, however, noted that the Blue Jaysâ stance on whether or not to dump Santander is less clear. Still, he stated, the Blue Jays this offseason are not letting previous bad contracts hinder their efforts to improve on the roster that got them painfully close to a World Series championship.
“The overall picture emerging is one where the Blue Jays are prioritizing the quality of next yearâs roster over past production,” the Sportsnet reporter wrote. “The priority has to be 2026 wins.”
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