Philadelphia Phillies never made sense for Carlos Santana

The Philadelphia Phillies had money to burn and free agents to spend it on last year. They are already looking to get out of one bad marriage.

Heading into the 2017-18 offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies were in a position to spend. They had amassed a solid farm system, with talented youngsters like Aaron Nola, J.P. Crawford, and Rhys Hoskins showing that they were ready to lead the way to contention. However, they needed help, and the Phillies had the financial wherewithal to add to their roster.

With that money, the Phillies made two moves. The first, adding Jake Arrieta, made sense. He was a battle tested veteran, a former Cy Young winner who helped the Cubs win a World Series title. Arrieta was the type of veteran presence that the Phillies pitching staff needed.

The Phillies also signed Carlos Santana. In theory, he was the type of hitter the lineup needed – a switch hitter with power and patience, someone that could again serve as an excellent mentor for a young roster. The problem was, the Phillies were not an ideal fit. Santana was, at most, a first baseman, a position that Hoskins already filled. However, Philadelphia moved their young slugger to the outfield, trying to free up first for Santana and hoping for the best.

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That move did not work. Santana was the player he usually had been, producing a .229/.352/.414 batting line, hitting 24 homers and 28 doubles. He was even solid in the field, saving three runs at both first and third. The problem was that Hoskins was brutal in the outfield, costing the Phillies 14 runs in his time in left. He was, however, solid at first, saving two runs over 106.2 innings.

Hoskins being a defensive liability shows why Santana was not the right fit for Philadelphia in the first place. The Phillies had the future of the franchise at first, and a solid outfield. In theory, Maikel Franco  could handle third. Instead, this move essentially blocked Roman Quinn and turned the previously promising Aaron Altherr into a fourth outfielder.

For their part, the Phillies understand the error of their ways. They are looking to move on from Santana, desperately shopping the remaining two years, and $41 million, on his contract. The problem is, they will likely need to swallow some of that salary in order to move on. Yet, that solution is far better than hanging on to a mistake just because of the price tag involved. And, the Phillies may even be able to bring back a useful piece for the future.

The Philadelphia Phillies made a mistake in signing Carlos Santana. At least they are able to admit the error of their ways, and try to correct them.