The Guardians have placed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana on outright waivers, Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel of The Athletic report. The 39-year-old switch-hitter is playing on a one-year, $12MM contract and still has about $2.13MM of that sum yet to be paid out.
Any team that claims Santana would need to take on the entirety of that remaining sum. Santana has not been designated for assignment, meaning he can continue to play while he is on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, the Guardians do not need to assign him to a minor league affiliate or remove him from the 40-man roster (though they could choose to do so). If he is claimed, the waivers are irrevocable, and Santana will head to the claiming club. In 455 plate appearances this season, Santana is hitting .225/.316/.333 with his typical brand of elite defense at first base.
Though his defense remains excellent and Santana is still drawing walks at a premium 11.4% rate, his overall offensive output has been about 14% worse than average, by measure of wRC+. This season’s 18.9% strikeout rate is the second-highest of his career and his worst since way back in 2011. Santana is averaging a career-low 87.5 mph off the bat and has struggled particularly from the left side of the plate, hitting just .220/.311/.325 against right-handed pitching.
The Guardians have fallen down the standings with a recent 1-9 skid. Cleveland now sits six games back in the American League Wild Card chase (plus an even more daunting 12.5 games out in the division).
With that swoon and the placement of Santana on waivers, they’ll turn the page on the 2025 season and give more playing time to younger, controllable first base/designated hitter options like Kyle Manzardo and recently promoted top prospect C.J. Kayfus. The 25-year-old Manzardo has popped 21 homers while hitting .231/.313/.453 in 415 plate appearances this season, while the 23-year-old Kayfus is hitting .220/.281/.424 in his first 63 turns at the plate as a big leaguer.
If another club does claim Santana and his remaining salary, he’d be postseason-eligible by virtue of that fact that he’s in his new organization prior to Sept. 1. If he goes unclaimed, Cleveland could release the well-respected veteran in hopes that he’ll catch on elsewhere and be able to participate in another postseason run.
Love Santana but this is the right move. I doubt anyone picks up his contract
Same. I will always wish him well, but Kayfus should be getting everyday reps at first
I hope his retirement goes smooth.
Props to you for not making the lame old joke as 1st comment like that example just to get the easy thumbs up.
A ghastly .547 OPS since June 8. Seems like the right move.
As a Guardians hostage I hate that these are the news items I get excited about with my team. It’s never we traded for Yordan Alvarez and are making a run at a championship now or whatever. It’s always we dropped an also ran and hopefully our new first baseman can hit .250 with 20ish home runs. It’s exhausting.
Hang in there. Every team needs devoted fans like you.
Don’t think Alvarez was available
Try being a Pirates fan.
The team has been consistently competitive for more than 10 years. They cannot make the playoffs every year.
This was more if a retooling year and, even after losing Clase and Ortiz, they still managed to be in the playoff hunt into August.. that’s a minor miracle.
Stop.
If this is it for Slamtana, heck of a career man. One of the more underrated players of the last two decades.
I think this is a precursor to possibly trading him, post deadline of they want to.
How are they going to trade him post-deadline?
Irrevocable. If he gets claimed he is gone.
There’s no post deadline trading hence the word deadline.
I never understood why the thrifty Guardians spent $12 M on Santana in the first place. Baffling move then, leading to this rather inevitable release now.
Tbf, people wrote him off before he signed for the Pirates in 2023.
And before he was traded to the Brewers. And before he signed for the Twins last year.
So he has a very recent track record of exceeding expectations with the bat and providing elite defense.
Cost similar to Taylor. Good pr move. Before fans could complain about trade they brought back a old favorite. 1b was in demand so bidding got intense.
For that money it reminded me of their Josh Bell signing for like $18M per year for two years.
Seems like this is probably the end of the road, and if it is hats off to Santana. He had a very nice career. Easy entry to the hall of Very Good.
Might have 1 more if he wants to play bad enough. Part of 1 more at least. How far he makes it who knows.
His advanced stats (and bat speed) aren’t too far off from 2024. Can still take a walk and play defense. Maybe see what he’s got left in S.T.
Even regular stats avg obp only down a dozen points. You are the problem if you expected 20 some hrs again. Pittsburgh KC Seattle is what you are hoping for. If he went to Houston Boston Cincinnati Milwaukee Sacramento Colorado he would have a better ops.
This move works as long as they intend to call up a position player who can actually hit. Gotta get Valera on the roster or he’s a FA at year’s end. It’s now or never.
It is never.
This move works period. At best someone wants him. At worst you keep him or dfa him. Seasons over. Doesn’t matter what happens.
Father time has caught up with Santana’s bat. I doubt he gets claimed but i also doubt that they just unceremoniously release him either. Might be time for Carlos to announce this as his farewell tour
Maybe or it could be just a down year.
I’d give him a minor league deal or 1 1.5m to be a role model on a young rebuilding team and pick some throws at 1b.
I’ll miss all the guitar references.
My guitar is already gently weeping
Smooth
Fire Cherington for not signing this scrub
Jay killer. All uniforms. Every year
My guitar is gently weeping
So smooth you had to say it twice
I am afraid that this could happen to McCutcheon next year if he comes back to Pittsburgh.
Nope. Cutch will make half that salary and Santana would be one of the half dozen best players if he was on Pirates.
Can’t be any worse than Donovan Solano, amirite?
Had the talent to be great. Unfortunately, took October through June off most of his career.
He’s got the Sept 1st playoff roster availability working against him and his price is a bit steep for a mid market team making a playoff push. Don’t really see a fit for him unless there’s an injury this week.
If they did this last week I could see Boston considering him over Lowe. Glad they weren’t forced to decide. Lowe has been awesome.
We all know what the idea of additions are to Reds management, so his next stop may become clear soon.
Trading Spencer Horwitz and re signing the almost 40 year old Santana made no sense.
The goal was to get a pitcher who would later be suspended
Players need to know when its time to walk away and retire with dignity.
I’d be happy to retire with an extra $12M, with or without my dignity.
If the Minnesota Twins are patient, and wait until the Guardians release Carlos Santana, and are stuck with the remainder of his 2025 contract, picking up Carlos Sanatana to finish out the season. Santana has better offensing and defensive numbers than Kody Clemens and Eddie Julian, both lefties, and switch hitter/1B/Catcher Mickey Gasper. Twins like cheap players and a reunion with Santana for the final few weeks would be an upgrade for the team, maybe win a couple more games, and probably sell a few more Twins tickets in the final month. Go CHEAP! Go Twins. Give our Gold Glove on final harrah at Target Field.