Home Sports With signing of Anthony Santander, the Blue Jays did what they needed to do

With signing of Anthony Santander, the Blue Jays did what they needed to do

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With signing of Anthony Santander, the Blue Jays did what they needed to do

The Toronto Blue Jays had do something.

After futile attempts to target several top free agents (Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Roki Sasaki all rejected Team Canada this winter), the Blue Jays found themselves in a position of desperation. Their roster, while capable of competing in 2025, remained incomplete and undermanned, especially on offense. And with two of the club’s franchise pillars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, just a year away from free agency, the future was becoming increasingly confusing. The pressure, for this franchise without a postseason victory since 2016, had reached a fever pitch.

But on Monday, the Blue Jays gave themselves a break and a much-needed injection of power, with the club reportedly agreeing to terms with slugging outfielder Anthony Santander on a five-year deal. It’s an inevitable and obvious combination between a team that lacks pop and a free agent with immense juice.

Toronto finished 26th in home runs in 2024. No player except Guerrero topped 20 long balls. Only six players reached double digits. The club’s 156 home runs were the franchise’s lowest number in a single season since 2004. It was, for a team with postseason aspirations, an embarrassing number.

Enter Santander.

The former Oriole hit 44 big fly balls in 2024. Only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the sport’s two MVPs, finished the season with a higher tally. Santander’s total was the fifth-most home runs ever by a switch-hitter and the most since Lance Berkman hit 45 in 2006. Berkman, Chipper Jones and Mickey Mantle are the only hitters from either side above Santander in the single season list.

And while 2024 was a notable step forward, the broad-shouldered Venezuelan had established himself as a formidable force in the middle of the order with solid campaigns in 2022 and 2023. Since the start of the 2022 season, only Judge, Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso and Matt Olson have hit more home runs than Santander. His long journey from Rule 5 selection to the All-Star Game was a huge success story in the Orioles’ development, and Santander became a key cog in their offense when the club returned to contention.

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But while Santander’s pop is undeniable, the rest of his game has some flaws, flaws that overshadow his long pact with the Blue Jays.

Defensively, Santander is limited, a glove below average in one corner of the outfield. As he ages and his velocity continues to decline, a move to first base or designated hitter could be advantageous. And while his offensive profile is impressive, an over-reliance on the long ball could become a problem as the years go by. Santander posted the lowest batting average of his career in 2024 and drew far fewer walks than he would like.

On the other hand, few contracts in MLB are designed to look pristine at the end. Santander, who will enter his age-30 season in 2025, could decline as he approaches 30. Plenty of other players have. But he has also been impressively durable, playing at least 150 games in each of the last three seasons, something accomplished by only 15 other players.

For Toronto, all in all, this deal represents a risk worth taking.

Santander could He’ll hit another 40 home runs in 2025 and help propel the Blue Jays back to glory in October. Even if he doesn’t, while not a franchise cornerstone, Santander is an extremely valuable complementary piece, particularly for a Blue Jays team that entered the offseason with a shallow group of position players. But with his arrival, plus the acquisition of Andrés Jiménez earlier this winter, Toronto has a solid group of hitters along with a strong starting rotation.

Another bullpen arm to complement the addition of closer Jeff Hoffman and a left-handed designated hitter, such as Joey Gallo, Anthony Rizzo or David Peralta, on a one-year deal, would round out a solid offseason for the Blue Jays. Lately, the predominant narrative surrounding this team has been their inability to land the biggest, best fish on the market. But taken as a whole, Toronto has improved its 2024 version more this offseason than at least two of its division rivals (Tampa Bay and Baltimore).

None of that will ease the pain of missing Sasaki, Soto and Burnes, but you have to give Toronto’s front office credit for doing what they had to do. Santander alone can’t solve the Blue Jays’ problems, but it can certainly help.

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