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Anthony Santander's free agency player profile (1:15)
Kiley McDaniel details what makes Anthony Santander an intriguing free agent for MLB teams. (1:15)
Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff WriterJan 20, 2025, 12:43 PM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
The Toronto Blue Jays and outfielder Anthony Santander are in agreement on a five-year contract worth more than $90 million, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Monday, giving the team one of the best hitters available this offseason after failed attempts to land a marquee free agent in recent years.
The deal is pending a physical.
A Rule 5 selection after the 2016 season, Santander ascended to a starting role during the Baltimore Orioles' lean, rebuilding years before becoming a key component for the franchise's playoff teams the past two seasons.
Santander, 30, recorded a career year at the right time in 2024, making his first American League All-Star team and posting a .506 slugging percentage with 44 home runs, 102 RBIs and 25 doubles in 155 games before reaching free agency this winter.
The home runs ranked third in the majors last season behind only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. They were also the fifth most for a switch-hitter in a single season and the most for a switch-hitter since Lance Berkman hit 45 in 2006.
Santander's shortcomings -- he has a .307 career on-base percentage and isn't a strong defender -- did not prevent him from landing a multiyear contract with an organization that has been thirsting to add impact players.
The Blue Jays had been considered finalists to sign Ohtani, Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Roki Sasaki over the past two offseasons, only to fall short each time. In Santander, Toronto adds a star a tier below those four players, but one who will bolster a lineup centered on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is slated for free agency next winter.
Santander's offense also better supplements one of the best starting rotations in baseball, as the organization looks to reverse its last-place finish in a loaded American League East.
Because Santander received and rejected a qualifying offer from the Orioles, the Blue Jays will lose their second-highest draft pick in 2025 and $500,000 in international bonus pool room for signing him.
