Feb. 10: The Diamondbacks officially announced the Santana deal on Tuesday afternoon. Left-hander Andrew Saalfrank was placed on the 60-day IL in a corresponding move. Saalfrank had shoulder surgery on Monday and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season.
Feb. 3: The Diamondbacks and free agent first baseman Carlos Santana are in agreement on a deal, according to various sources. It is reportedly a one-year, $2MM pact. The Snakes have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move once Santana completes his physical and the deal becomes official.
Santana, 40 in April, made his major league debut back in 2010. While he’s never really been a star player, he has carved out a long career as a reliably strong contributor. He has always had strong strikeout and walk numbers while flashing a bit of pop with strong first base defense to boot. In over 9,000 career plate appearances, he has a 14.4% walk rate, 16.6% strikeout rate, .241/.352/.425 line and 114 wRC+. In almost 13,000 innings at first, he has racked up 48 Defensive Runs Saved and 45 Outs Above Average.
As one would expect, his production has declined as he has pushed closer to his 40th birthday. He still gets rave reviews for his glovework but his offense hasn’t been as robust in recent seasons. Dating back to the start of 2020, he has a combined line of .222/.321/.378 and a 96 wRC+. With the Guardians and Cubs in 2025, his 11% walk rate and 19.2% strikeout rate were still good numbers but down from his career levels. He slashed .219/.308/.325 on the year for a wRC+ of 82.
Despite the trend lines and the poor 2025 season, there are some reasons why Santana could be a good fit for the Arizona roster. A switch-hitter, he has always fared better against left-handed pitching. In 2025, he wasn’t great against pitchers of either handedness, with a .231/.318/.346 line and 89 wRC+ against southpaws. But as recently as 2024, he was able to put up a huge .286/.356/.578 line and 160 wRC+ in that split.
The Diamondbacks had Josh Naylor as their first baseman to begin 2025 but they traded him to the Mariners at the deadline. Coming into this offseason, they had Pavin Smith and Tyler Locklear atop the depth chart, but with question marks there.
Locklear, who came over from the Mariners in the Eugenio Suárez trade last summer, hasn’t yet found success against big league pitching. He also might not be ready for Opening Day this year. In a September game against the Red Sox, he was attempting to corral an errant throw from third baseman Jordan Lawlar when he made contact with batter-runner Connor Wong. He suffered a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder and required surgery in October.
As for Smith, he has shown flashes of potential at times but with a heavy platoon split. A left-handed batter, he slashed .270/.348/.547 for a 140 wRC+ in 2024 but with most of that damage coming against righties. Last year, he had big splits again and also faded as the season went along, dealing with injuries in the second half. For the whole year, he hit .265/.361/.456 against righties but just .167/.375/.167 against lefties. He had a combined .261/.371/.446 line in the first half and .227/.261/.318 line in the second half. He spent time on the injured list due to an oblique strain and a quad strain and only played 87 games on the year.
Locklear hits from the right side, so a platoon with Smith is potentially a good arrangement at first. But Locklear is fairly unproven and also has the uncertain health status. Smith appears to be a good bat against righties but without an especially long track record of success. His first base defense also hasn’t received strong marks.
The Diamondbacks didn’t have a strict designated hitter in 2025, with various players rotating through that spot. It’s possible they could rotate Locklear, Smith and Santana based on various situations throughout the season. Santana provides stronger glovework than Smith and with better numbers against lefty pitchers. Locklear still has an option and could be sent to Triple-A but he could earn more playing time, with the DH spot allowing the club to spread some more at-bats around.
There’s also the financial component. Owner Ken Kendrick said in September that the payroll would likely be dialed back relative to 2025. General manager Mike Hazen has tried to downplay the payroll concerns but also recently implied that making a flashy bullpen signing would have closed the door to reuniting with Merrill Kelly.
With an uncertain first base situation and little money to spend, the Snakes were connected to right-handed-hitting first basemen who weren’t likely command high salaries. That included Santana but also Ty France and old friend Paul Goldschmidt. While a reunion with Goldy would have been fun, the Santana deal seems to make it far less likely, if not completely impossible.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported that the sides were close to a deal. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that an agreement was in place. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported that it would be a one-year deal. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reported the $2MM figure. Photos courtesy of David Richard, Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
It will be his ninth team he’s suited up for. He’s quite the popular fella on an Immaculate Grid.
He finally changed his evil ways
That won’t happen until he signs with the Angels. 😇
Satan was/is an angel
And he took 1/3 of the angels upon his falling? Revelation 12:4 describes the Devil’s tail sweeping away “a third of the stars of heaven” guess those are demons now? They certainly aren’t angels anymore
Yeah. I was one of them. So was Anthony Rendon. 😬
Anthony Rendons Bat was nicknamed Wormword
He’s going to tell a new west side story
Smooth!
And if you said this life ain’t good enough
I would give my world to lift you up
I could change my life to better suit your mood
Because you’re so smooth
Well, and it’s just like the ocean under the moon
Well, it’s the same as the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of lovin’ that can be so smooth, yeah
Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it
This means that the Diamondbacks are not signing Paul Goldschmidt.
Sad to say. I love it when players with great careers finish with the team they started with.
Maybe he signs there in 2026-2027 offseason?
Very possible indeed! I doubt Santana would spend more than 1 year with the Snakes (assuming they don’t trade of Designate him for Assignment).
@Francys
What gave it away?
Perhaps Goldschmidt can “come back” to the Yankees…
Looks like a real good chance he will be a Yankee.
Goldschmidt won’t cost much and he can mentor Rice at first base.
great idea! mentors over rings!!!
Well he will be a good defensive option at the very least. He might work good in platoon capacity against lefties. I would be concerned with how much he slowed last year
Dude still had over 1 WAR last year. I hope he plays into his late 40s.
Arizona really is the retirement spot
The dry air is good for your bones.
And home runs.
Arenado and Santana on the corners.
There was a time when their bats frightened opponents.
Why are the Diamondbacks trying to get older, and with this winters additions does it mean they have totally given up on 23 year old Jordan Lawlar?
I believe they plan to bat Lawlar against RHP Santana against LHP
Lawlar? Pavin Smith and Carlos Santana will platoon at 1B and DH. Maybe Del Castillo, too.
OF Carroll, Thomas, Alexander, Lawlar
IF Pavin, Carlos, Ketel, Geraldo and Nolan.
C Moreno, McCann, Del Castillo.
Lawlar could get reps in the outfield of subbing for Nolan.
That’s actually a potentially much better team/lineup than I realized they had…. But it could also spell absolute disaster, im wondering how Burnes is progressing, with some pitching they could be a decent team
Fine?
With a 4 player bench having 1 player who can only play 1st doesn’t seem ideal.
FG projection
90 wRC+, 0.3 WAR in 30 PA
I think he’s the starting 1B.
Only if Pavin Smith and Adrian Del Castillo are both injured.
30 whole PA. lol
fpb
That was a typo. Should have been 300
“LOL”
Nice pickup for the Diamondbacks. Good veteran presence for the team
Never confuse activity with achievement.
Poor Goldschmidt
Oh wow, I thought he was a catcher, but he has not played an inning of C since 2014.
As a diehard dbacks fan I understand what we are doing. Not gonna compete with LA and we were in the red last year. Might as well let younger guys play. We still have a solid team. Can’t pay 60 mil for 1 player.
Arrenado and Santana are not younger guys.
Goldy to the Yanks drum beating louder.
But awesome to see Santana still getting work. I hope Locklear recovers from his injuries well, that kid could be the future there at 1st.
Good for them. Now I want Goldshmidt to come to the padres and be our DH/1b platoon
No. Please no.
He would be a good fit there. What is he asking for?
Fangraphs free agent tracker has $8.9M for 1 year. I think that’s doable…
More than the $2MM Santana got.
The media always makes every deal made sound incredible. Meh. Lots of buzz words.
Boy are the Dbacks broke or what. Can’t even afford Goldschmidt for his return to the desert.
Arenado and Santana scream bargain basement.
335 homers qualifies as “a bit of pop?”
Watch him produce 4.3 WAR and sign next year for $13M or something.
I wonder who’s had the most yo-yo career of all time, where one year they get like $20M and the next year they have to settle for a $1.5M split contract, get selected/called up and then produce well enough to get a 1 year/$12M deal, then back and forth, back and forth in that manner for like 6+ seasons?
Weird off season. Hopefully he still works counts.
Hope he’s got something in the tank left. Looked awful last year.
Maybe they are higher on Locklear and his return to health than anybody knows..? Other than that could have done better w/ right side of platoon. His Defense is solid but not much stick left. Good clubhouse guy..
Let’s go Hazen and Kendrick- With saving the $ at 1B/DH, A Gallen return is looking better by the minute.
I’m still not ready to give up on pavin either.
With tim tawa of power and pavin the way. Seems like an ovebay a lyle overbay
Santana’s second half of his career is very Lyle Overbay-ish indeed.
I read that a few times…. Didn’t help much ha
Rats no Walker reunion for the Diamondbacks.
Ha, nice try.
I know, I tried. 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁
This was a black magic signing, they are hoping they can find someone they can depend on and in that way, the game of baseball is like the game of love.
Under appreciated and that’s different than underrated. Paul Reed Smith and Mesa Boogie. And incredible sustain.
Haha
I hate my life.
I can only see this as a trade deadline signing, the past three seasons Santana has been traded at the deadline. So at least they will hopefully get a good prospect when they trade him. Now since they have a 1st baseman/DH, what’s next signing Gallen to a one-year deal plus mutual option maybe.
Carlos Santana is not bringing back any well thought of prospect at the trade deadline. At best, he brings back a young, potential lottery ticket and that assumes he has any trade value at all come the all star break.
That is why I said “hopefully”, which in my world is not a very good chance. This signing is on a scale of 1 to 10 for excitement is around a 3. It barely moves the needle.
You, sir, are an optimist!
And what… has Casey Blake done recently??
Snakes look to be upgrading their 1B-3B defense which is a good idea.
On Jordan Lawler, 12 games 4 errors at third. He’s not ready to take over that job which is why they gave him a look in center during the winter.
Bat may not be ready either.. Small sample size but 97 AB’s .165 .241 .237 .doesn’t scream I’m ready to me.
One of the best 1B of the past 15 years…but a MLB deal at this point? I dunno…
I like the move, however a better story would be Goldy finishing his career in AZ. Would probably get similar production.
Dbacks can roster some non-versatile guys – Santana, Smith, Arrenado – with Lawler, Alexander and Tawa on the roster, all of whom can play IF and OF. As a side note, I suspect Marte will get plenty of ABs at DH with Lawler, Alexander or Tawa playing some 2B.
Rumor has it the D-Backs are considering Jimi Hendrix also.
Wow, I thought it was almost a foregone conclusion Goldy was gonna bookend his career with a final season in the desert. Was it a money thing? Does Goldschmidt really think he’s worth more than $2M/year?
Absolutely a money thing.
Sucks because unlike Santana Goldy could actually have had an impact as a platoon bat. Snakes just got worse.
Obviously the DBacks wanted Goldy. Goldy probably wanted 7mil, the DBacks probably said 3mil max. Goldy wouldn’t come down, the DBacks moved on. Tough business.
Back to his Evil Ways – sure to haunt the Tigers again, however few games they play against him this year!