Juan Soto is reportedly being pursued by both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Where would they go if he decided to leave the Big Apple? Anthony Santander, the Baltimore Orioles slugger, may be part of each club’s backup plan. Santander chose the best time for a career year.
In 2024, the switch-hitter made his first All-Star appearance, won his first Silver Slugger Award, and placed 14th in the American League MVP Award voting. He also achieved new career highs in OPS (.814), home runs (44), RBI (102) and runs scored (91). Waiting until Soto decides on his future makes the most sense, given that the 30-year-old primarily plays outfield.
Once that happens, teams that lost out on the opportunity can instantly turn to Santander as a backup plan. With the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox reportedly vying for Soto, the Yankees and Mets may have to go elsewhere for offence. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report listed the best free agents in MLB ahead of next week’s Winter Meetings. He placed Santander seventh overall, mentioning the Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Nationals as possible destinations for the slugger.
“Santander is tied to draft-pick compensation after rejecting a qualifying offer from the Baltimore Orioles, but that isn’t likely to kill his earning power,” Rymer said. “Projections for him tend to fall in the $20 million per year range, with B/R’s Tim Kelly going for five years, $101 million.” That deal would represent a tiny overpayment based on Spotrac’s market-value assessment, which is for five years and just under $89 million. However, if a bidding war breaks out among big-market teams that missed out on Soto, Santander’s next contract might be worth nine figures.
Leave a Reply