Veteran infielder/outfielder Danny Santana has been working out for teams over the past week and is expected to sign a deal in the coming days, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Santana had originally planned to host an open showcase for interested clubs on Thursday, per Heyman, but he’s had enough interest after displaying his health in recent one-on-one workouts that he’s canceled that audition and expects to choose an offer in the near future.
The Athletic’s Dan Hayes tweets that the Twins are among the clubs with interest, although their preference would be on a minor league deal. It’s at least possible that Santana, who played in just 15 games last year before undergoing elbow surgery, could command a big league deal elsewhere. But as an original product of the Twins system, a reunion with his first organization could hold some appeal.
Wherever Santana signs, he’ll give his next club a versatile bench option who has some power, some speed and experience both in the outfield and the infield. The 30-year-old switch-hitter managed just a .145/.238/.278 output in 63 trips to the plate while playing through that elbow injury last year, but as recently as 2019 he gave the Rangers a .283/.324/.534 slash with 28 homers in 511 plate appearances. The composition of the ball in 2019 has been widely questioned, and that might have played a role in Santana’s out-of-the-blue power spike; he did homer seven times in 430 plate appearances as a rookie with the 2014 Twins but had never reached double-digit homers otherwise in a big league season.
On the whole, Santana is a career .260/.299/.418 batter with 42 homers, 87 doubles, 22 triples and a 71-for-95 showing in stolen base attempts. Santana has played all four infield positions and all three outfield slots in his Major League career, with the bulk of his time coming at shortstop (918 innings) and in center field (1143 innings). Assuming he’s healthy, Santana would make a nice late addition to any club’s bench or perhaps even as a competitor for a larger role on a club whose starting nine is not yet fully defined.
Give him a shot! and sign Cole Hamels…
OMG with the Cole Hamels plugs – somebody sign him and get it over with so he can go the DL and once again be erased from our short-term memories for another year! LOL
Pretty interesting role player.
I’ve been thinking about him as a better-than-Tyler-Wade bench player. & – yeah – the Cole Hamels thing, too.
Surely you mean Coal Hammel.
What’s scary about Tyler Wade is he appeared in 52 of a possible 60 games last season. I’m not looking forward to his 140 game 2021 season!
Actually I’d rather have Shane Greene. Especially if Abreu has an option left.
I know right?
Do you think he somehow learned how to hit over the winter, or nah? His “offense” makes it kinda hard to get very excited about him.
I really think Santana would be an upgrade. But I’m also fairly tired of T-Wade at the plate. Which could certainly be a factor in that thought.
Brilliant phrasing, Steve Adams. “A club whose starting nine is not yet fully defined” is a wonderfully great way to say “a club that stinks”.
Santana’s a rarity among these utility types; actually does decent work with the glove, playing all over the place. Good pickup.
I think there are plenty of decent clubs whose starting lineups could still use some competition, which is why I phrased it that way. Santana could compete for regular reps as Houston’s center fielder, Cincinnati’s shortstop or the Cubs’ second baseman. I don’t think any of those clubs “stink,” but they each have one spot at least somewhat up for grabs this spring.
Santana has only only started 8 games at SS from 2016-2020. And has only exceeded a .606 OPS once after his freshman year. There is always the ‘anything can happen’ factor, but that could be said about a ton of players.
I’ve grown tired of the futility of guessing what Cincy is up to, but it is really hard to imagine any of those starting him, or even giving him 300 ABs.
That wouldn’t phase the Reds since Dee Strange-Gordon has only played 7 games at SS since 2014 and he’s competing for the starting job
W a b/u minor league catcher RSox!! Crazy,Im pulling for ex Dodger Farmer tho
Braves could use him to replace Camargo. I watched the game against the Red Sox and Camargo looks lost at the plate.
Steve, you’re absolutely right and my Cleveland Indians is one of those teams that could use Danny in a full time role.
I don’t think that he would bring more than Sogard and Hoerner at 2B. If 2019 was a legit year in a non launching pad then I would agree with the 2B upgrade. As things stand Sogard and Hoerner have contact approaches that Jed Hoyer desires and Hoerner was up for a GG at 2B in his brief tenure there. I believe 2b might end up a strength vs a weakness going into this year.
I’m more concerned with the core figuring how to hit again.
What’s with cole Hamels the dude needs to sign or retire. Best pitcher on the market can’t change my mind
But you see my point here? You only hear of a hen, a rooster and a chicken. Something’s missing!
Come back to Texas.. much better CF than noodle armed DeShields
Tavares….
Is green as all get out…
I think Santana of 2019 would be and upgrade over Desheilds as the 4th OF emergency IF. Especially, if Calhoun returns to 2019 form and can play serviceable LF..That way if TAveras needs a little more time an OF of Gallo, Dahl, and Calhoun with Davis DH would not be bad for a few months. Then in July if Cahoun is playing well and Dahl is healthy and productive, he could move back to LF, Calhoun or Davis could be moved at deadline and you still have one of them + an outstanding defensive OF of Gallo, Taveras and Dahl. Would not mine TExas offering Hamels or Porcello a 1 yr deal to flip in July. April-July rotation of Gibson, Dunning, Folty, Arihara and Hamels would be serviceable. Then at deadline move Gibson, Hamels Calhoun or Davis and Leclerc or Rodriquez for prospects.
Well maybe a sorry team can give him a shot and he does ok and gets traded at the deadline for a prospect.
He’s someone that the Braves should’ve gone hard after for their bench instead of nickel and diming through the bargain bin.
Santana is most definitely part of the bargain bin.
He sucked with the Braves
No, he wasn’t very good with the Braves. He also has shown since that he has the potential to be good. He’s better than Kipnis and Pablo.
“The composition of the ball in 2019 has been widely questioned“
2019 – Fake ball
2020 – Fake season
2021 – Fake _________
We eagerly await the delicious offering from MLB.
Fake Mickey Calloway
@whyhazee –
I can’t answer that. But I like this post.
He is a 30 year old with an wRC+ under 60 in 5 of his last 6 years
Versatile or not, hoping the fluke 2019 wasn’t because of random dumb luck combining with the park, peak power age and the juiced ball…
Looking at the individual season marks when two of the past three seasons have been samples of 15 games is an odd way to frame it, though. I’d agree 2019 and his rookie season are both outliers, but you could just as easily say that over the past three seasons he’s been a 101 wRC+ in a season’s worth of games (162) and plate appearances (606). Exit velocity and hard-hit rate spiked from his first three seasons in that time as well.
It’s a reasonable enough package to take a flier on at a low-cost one-year deal or a minor league contract.
“but you could just as easily say that over the past three seasons he’s been a 101 wRC+”
And doing that puts 100% of your hope on a clearly fluke season
Not being good or healthy enough to play is part of the problem you face when signing him. And it can not be ignored that he has 5 years with 280 games and 800 PA of a 55 OPS+ in everything but the clearly outlier season. Over 5 years he literally did nothing at all
Sign him to a minor league deal on the chance he’s both healthy and lucky, but hoping for anything more than a 60 OPS+/wRC+ is a huge hope
Tyler Wade career OPS: .595
Even that .606 of Santana’s would be an upgrade for some teams. Sadly, when one of those teams is probably the Yanks.
I think the best fit at this point is probably AZ with Calhoun likely out for the season. Santana can start in the OF and slide into a utility role if Calhoun comes back or if someone else emerges from within as a better everyday option in RF
Arizona does make good sense as a landing spot.
Cubs need a player like this. With the ability to play all over the diamond, Santana could offer a low-risk/high-upside player that could give occasional off-days to Hoerner, Bryant, Pederson and Heyward.. could also probably be their regular CF, since they don’t really have one. $1mil, 1 year deal + another $1 mil in incentives.
Twins should sign Danny
“Danny Santana Expected To Sign Soon”
The ability to communicate with sign language is certainly a positive life enhancing ability. Was this newly undertaken ability the result of family/friend dynamics or is there a particular team with hearing impaired players that he has prepared himself to join?
The Mets should be all over this. Hows his defense? Use him to spell guys all over the diamond
Anyone care?
Is Josh Reddick still have something of value to offer?
Glove and the arm.
Puig is better than Santana. If I’m AZ I’m talking to his reps. As long as he doesn’t pee in the pool again. But that requires winning.
Hope the Brewers land him to fill in at a bunch of different positions.
Oh please no Chaim put the phone down. We do not need him
Sorry bro. Bloom didn’t listen.