The Blue Jays make a contract offer to Anthony Santander

The Blue Jays’ interest in Antonio Santander is well known, with Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press even listing the Jays and Angels “as the favorites” to sign the All-Star outfielder in a report last week. Toronto has formalized its pursuit of Santander by making an official contract offer, according to KPRC’s Ari Alexander, though the size and length of the offer are unknown.

MLB Trade Rumors ranked Santander ninth on our list of the top 50 free agents of the offseason and had the longtime Orioles outfielder on a four-year, $80 million contract. Santander and its representatives at the Beverly Hills Sports Council have sought to surpass that figure, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported last month that Santander is seeking a five-year contract worth at least $100 million.

Considering how many other notable free agents landed bigger-than-expected deals this winter, it’s no surprise that Santander is aiming high, and it could have some leverage given that so many other big bats have already signed elsewhere. In addition to the Blue Jays and Angels, the Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees have also been publicly linked to Santander, and it’s possible another club or two are lurking to see how its market develops.

One team that doesn’t appear to be in the running for Santander is Houston, as Alexander notes that it’s “very unlikely” that the Astros will hand out the type of contract that would essentially ensure the team stays above the luxury tax threshold. RosterResource’s current estimate of a $244 million tax code for the Astros already puts them over the $241 million threshold, and there has been speculation that Houston could look to move a contract to get below the line and restore his status tax. Because the Astros were taxpayers in 2024, they also have to give up two 2025 draft picks and $1 million in international bonus pool for signing any free agent who declines a qualifying offer, and Houston has already paid those extra penalties to sign Christian Walker.

Adding a powerful switch-hitter like Santander would cover multiple needs for the Jays, whose largely right-handed lineup finished 26th in the majors last year in home runs. Leave Santander behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (who contributed 30 of the Jays’ 156 homers in 2024) in the lineup would give Guerrero valuable protection, and there’s a ready-made defensive position for Santander in left field. Since the Blue Jays don’t have a designated hitter for the set, Santander could get a good chunk of at-bats from the DH spot, which also works since Santander’s outfield defense is average at best.

It’s been a pretty quiet offseason for the Blue Jays, though not for lack of effort, as the team has been linked to nearly every major free agent on the market. Toronto made aggressive bids for both the top hitter (Juan Soto) and jug (Corbin Burnes) available, and reports indicated the Jays could have outbid the Diamondbacks’ $210 million contract with Burnes, but the right-hander took less money to pitch closer to his home in Arizona. Despite all the Jays’ free agent dealings, their only deal of note was a two-year pact with an old friend Yimi Garcia. Toronto’s other big offseason move to date was a trade with the Guardians that brought in the second baseman Andrés Gimenez and relief Nick Sandlin into the fold, but Gimenez’s poor numbers over the past two seasons offer no promise that he will help the Blue Jays’ lackluster offense.

Signing Santander would at least put to rest the narrative that the Jays are incapable of landing top free agents, though the heat on GM Ross Atkins and team president Mark Shapiro won’t die down unless the Blue Jays things change on the field in 2025 Perhaps no team in baseball has faced as much short-term pressure as the Jays since Guerrero and Bo Bichette they will both be free agents next winter and there is no indication that the club is making progress in extension negotiations. Bringing Santander in on a long-term deal could be seen as a move to lock a great bat into the lineup even if Guerrero leaves, similar to how the Gimenez trade could be interpreted as a move to strengthen the shortstop position if Bichette leaves. .