The Cleveland Indians are looking into the idea of extending first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana before he hits free agency next offseason, as reported by Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
The Cleveland Indians seem to be committed to retaining their core after their remarkable run to the World Series last season. After extending Jose Ramirez and Roberto Perez, Cleveland is now turning its attention to slugger Carlos Santana.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old had arguably his best season in 2016, as he hit .259/.366/.498 with 34 homers and a 14.4 percent walk and strikeout rate. With the ability to hit first or fourth in the lineup, Santana’s versatility has become one of his more valuable traits.
Though word on official talks between Santana and the Indians is unclear, Heyman noted that comparable contracts could be what Mark Trumbo (three years, $37.5 million) and Kendrys Morales (three years, $33 million) received. If Santana does hit free agency this offseason, he’ll likely be competing with Eric Hosmer, Mike Napoli and Lucas Duda in the first base market.
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Santana’s value could increase if he sees more time in the outfield, which manager Terry Francona is expected to do at points throughout the season.
Santana has been with the Indians since 2010, and owns a career .248/.366/.445 slash line with 152 home runs and 20.5 WAR. While it’s a very small sample size, it’s worth noting that Santana is 5-for-12 with one homer thus far this season.
If the sides don’t come to terms on a deal, it’s not entirely clear who would replace Santana on a regular basis. Edwin Encarnacion was signed over the offseason, but his value is best used at DH – so the team would likely have to find another option in free agency. Another possibility is moving Yandy Diaz to first base, since he’ll be without a clear position once Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall return to the lineup.
Cleveland does have a top first base prospect in the minors in Bobby Bradley, who is MLB.com’s 92nd-ranked overall prospect and the third best first base prospect. He’s a few years away from the majors, however, so it’s hard to imagine he’d have a major impact on Cleveland’s decision to extend Santana.
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The team is also committed to extending Francisco Lindor and closer Brian Shaw in the near future.