Dig into Santander's top suitors, contract projections & more

With the 2024 season behind us and the hot stove ready to burn, we're taking a closer look at some of the most prominent players eligible for free agency.

Name: Anthony Santander
Position: Right fielder
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Age (as of Opening Day 2025): 30
2024 stats: .235/.308/.506, 44 HR, 102 RBIs, 91 R, 134 OPS+, 3.3 fWAR

Eight years ago, the Orioles rolled the dice by taking Anthony Santander with the final selection in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

That gamble certainly paid off.

It took a while for Santander to establish himself as a productive big-league hitter, flashing big power as a 24-year-old in 2019 with a 20-homer season in 93 games. His big breakout season came in 2022, when he belted 33 home runs in 152 games, starting a three-year run that saw him hit 105 homers while playing in more than 150 games per season.

The 2024 season was his best; he finished third in the Majors with 44 home runs, driving in more than 100 runs for the first time in his career. It was fortuitous timing for the 30-year-old, who made his first All-Star team just months before hitting free agency, where he should cash in with a hefty contract this winter.

Will the Orioles look to keep the slugger in Baltimore, or will there be other suitors eager to add his powerful bat to their lineups? Let’s take a look at how Santander’s offseason might play out.

POTENTIAL SUITORS

BLUE JAYS

George Springer’s presence in right field could be a roadblock to a Santander signing, though the pair could form a right field/DH combo to make it work. Santander has also started 75 games in left field during his career – half of them as recently as 2022 – opening another possibility. Either way, the Blue Jays are in the market for a bat, making Santander a potential fit.

DODGERS

Los Angeles is among the teams pursuing Juan Soto, but Teoscar Hernández would appear to be the team’s Plan B. Should Hernández sign elsewhere, however, Santander would be an ideal candidate to slot into right field.

• Latest Dodgers rumors

METS

The Mets’ pursuit of Soto will determine much of what else they do this winter, but adding an outfield bat would seem to be in the cards one way or another. Santander would be an upgrade over Starling Marte, while his signing would give the Mets protection in the event that Pete Alonso signs elsewhere.

• Latest Mets rumors

NATIONALS

Washington will look for a bat to upgrade its offense this winter, and while the outfield appears to be crowded with James Wood, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews, Santander could slot in as the designated hitter while occasionally getting a turn in the outfield. Santander has also seen limited action at first base – he started seven games there for Baltimore in 2023 – so the Nats could think outside the box by moving him there.

ORIOLES

Baltimore’s deep core of young position players might mean the end of Santander’s time with the Orioles, but given the competitive nature of the AL East, his power bat might be difficult to replace. The Orioles figure to spend most of their free-agent dollars on pitching, but a return to Baltimore can’t be ruled out for Santander.

PHILLIES

Nick Castellanos’ name has surfaced on the trade market, which would potentially open the door for the Phillies to pursue Santander. Even if Castellanos isn’t moved, the addition of Santander would make sense, allowing Brandon Marsh to move to center field on a full-time basis or to platoon with Johan Rojas.

TIGERS

Detroit was one of the best stories of 2024, making a late-season run to the postseason. But the offense ranked ninth in the league in runs scored and 12th in home runs and OPS, so adding a bat would seem to be a priority this offseason. Right field featured a rotating cast of characters including Wenceel Pérez, Kerry Carpenter and Matt Vierling, but a power bat like Santander’s would add some much-needed thump to the lineup.

YANKEES

As is the case with nearly every other key free agent this winter, the Yankees’ interest could depend upon whether they are able to re-sign Soto. If Soto departs for another club, the Yankees will have a sizable hole in their lineup and outfield, one they could fill with the signing of Santander. The switch-hitting slugger gave the Yankees a close-up look at what he could do in the Bronx, where he posted a .936 OPS with three home runs in six games in 2024.

• Latest Yankees rumors

EXECUTIVE TAKE

“There’s no question that Santander is coming off the best season of his career at the most opportune time, winning his first Silver Slugger thanks to a monster power output. However, he achieved this peak at a later age than some of those current class comps, which may give teams the idea that they could get something of a discount. While the Orioles extended him the qualifying offer, I think it is much more possible that he signs a long-term deal outside of Baltimore. With 44 home runs, 102 RBIs and a 119 wRC+, Santander can land a long-term contract with an AAV of roughly $20 million. Given the Orioles' surplus in young offensive talent, it would be surprising if they signed Santander, but there should be several teams that would be willing to sign him to such a deal.”

BUYER BEWARE

Santander’s expected home run total was 36.6, meaning that some of his 44 home runs were the result of being in the right place at the right time, hitting the ball to the right part of the ballpark. Based on some of his underlying stats (exit velocity, hard hit rate and walk rate), Santander’s 2024 actually wasn’t too much of a spike year offensively, but he’s been been below-average in OAA in five of the past six seasons, leading some to wonder whether he’s a DH in the making.

FOR COMP'S SAKE

Santander is looking at a potential nine-figure deal over five years, landing somewhere in the range of the five-year, $90 million contract Masataka Yoshida signed two years ago and the six-year, $125 million deal Springer signed prior to the 2021 season. The best comp might be Castellanos, who inked a five-year, $100 million deal with the Phillies before the 2022 season.