Angels and Tigers interested in Anthony Santander

Antonio Santander has been linked to multiple teams this winter and Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press adds two new names to that list in the Angels and Tigers. Interestingly, Petzold describes the Angels and Blue Jays “as the favorites” to sign Santander, while the Tigers view the switch-hitting outfielder as something of a backup plan if they fail to sign Alex Bregmann.

With Juan Soto and now Teoscar Hernandez off the market, Santander stands out as the best remaining free agent option for teams needing help on the field. He was reportedly seeking a five-year contract even before Hernandez re-signed with the Dodgers, and with the Yankees and Red Sox joining the Blue Jays, Angels and Tigers as known suitors, there may be enough interest in Santander to land thus longer commitment even though he is entering the season of 30 years.

Santander has hit .245/.312/.476 with 134 home runs in 2,571 plate appearances since Opening Day 2020, which translates to a 119 wRC+. Santander saved his most productive season ever (3.3 fWAR) for his walk-through year, hitting a career-best 44 homers along with a .235/.308/.506 slash line in 665 PAs for the Orioles. He had relatively even splits on both sides of the plate and posted above-average numbers in at-bats, hard-hit balls, strikeouts and walk rates. This production earned Santander his first All-Star and Silver Slugger honors, and he even received some support in the AL MVP voting.

There are also some obvious downsides, as Santander isn’t much of a fielder or baserunner, and his offense is largely tied to his energy production. That doesn’t necessarily bode well for hitting at homer-suppressing ballparks like Angel Stadium or Comerica Park, which creates a Catch-22 for the Angels and Tigers as they look for some much-needed pop for the their formations.

The Angels’ emergence as a possible frontrunner for Santander isn’t necessarily a surprise, as the Halos have aggressively scoured the market for help. Los Angeles has already led Jorge Soler in town in a trade with the Braves, and added the likes of Travis d’Arnaud, Scott KingeryAND Kevin Newmann to the counter mix. At the end of the launch, Yusei Kikuchi AND Kyle Hendricks Free agent deals were signed.

Santander would require more effort than any other member of this group. MLB Trade Rumors ranked Santander ninth on our list of the top 50 free agents of the offseason and had him on a four-year, $80 million pact. RosterResource estimates the Angels’ 2025 payroll to be just under the $190 million mark, so an average annual value of $20 million for Santander would still put the Halos under their $214.7 million payroll for the 2023 season. That would match owner Arte Moreno’s statement in October that the Angels would increase spending this winter, if not in excess of their spending this winter. 2023.

If Santander had been hired to presumably take on his usual right field role, he would have joined Mike Trout AND Taylor Ward as full-backs, with Jo Adell AND Mickey Moniak move to reserve duty. There have been some reports that the Angels are exploring trading from this outfield group, which could perhaps steal Adell or Moniak, or left field could be opened up if Ward is dealt. Trout could conceivably be moved to left field as a way to reduce wear and tear on his body as the Halos attempt to keep their star healthy. Given that the Angels’ starting lineup is mostly filled with right-handed hitters, Santander’s ability to switch fields adds some balance.

Amusingly, Santander would also balance a Tigers lineup trending in the opposite direction. Detroit’s abundance of left-handed hitting has made adding at least one great right-handed bat a clear priority this winter. As Petzold noted, the signature of Gleyber Torres didn’t really address the lineup imbalance, as Torres will essentially replace another right-handed hitter Spencer Torkelson (AS Colt Keith will move to first base to accommodate Torres at second base).

In Detroit, Santander’s move to right fielder would change Kerry Carpenter in DH duty against right-handed pitchers, with Torkelson o Matt Vierling so he will probably act as the right side of that DH platoon. Vierling could also serve as a regular third baseman in this scenario where the Tigers signed Santander and not Bregman, depending on how the third base prospect Jace Jung adjusts to big league pitching in his first full MLB season.

The Tigers’ payroll situation is pretty clear long-term, and signing a big shot like Santander to a long-term deal would be the kind of winning move many expected from Detroit after the team reached the ALDS last season. Perhaps the team could sign both Bregman and Santander, but it seems more likely that they will focus on just one of the two players. Bregman’s projected contract is more than double what Santander is expected to receive, but the Tigers may be more willing to pay his higher price. While a gap remains between Detroit’s preferred offer and Bregman’s stated goal of a $200 million deal, Petzold writes that “the Tigers appear to be all-in with Bregman.”

Because the Tigers benefit from revenue sharing, they would pay a lesser penalty to sign a player like Santander who rejected the qualifying offer: Detroit would have to give up its third-highest pick in the 2025 draft. Since the Angels are not a revenue-sharing team and did not cross the luxury tax line last season, they would have to give up their second-highest pick in the 2025 draft and $500,000 in club money international bonus pool.

The Blue Jays would pay the same penalty as the Angels, and Toronto might have even more incentive than the Halos or Tigers to spend on a proven bat like Santander. The Jays have fallen short in all of their major free agent efforts so far this offseason and desperately need offensive help for what could be Vladimir Guerrero Jr. AND Bo BichetteIt’s the last season in Toronto.