Carlos Santana had a down year at the plate and after the Cleveland Indians chose not to pick up his option, the pundits are disrespecting him on the open market.
This is an exciting time of year for many baseball fans. Several baseball publications as well as fans alike, spend hours putting together free agent lists and speculating where players will sign and how much they will make with their next contract. As the 2020 editions of these lists begin to trickle out, there is one commonality. Former Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana is being disrespected.
Santana had a bit of a down year, to say the least, in the COVID shortened campaign of 2020. He hit .199 with an OPS of .699, which was mostly boosted by his league leading 47 walks. He was durable, playing all 60 games at first base and is just one year removed from setting career highs in home runs (34), runs batted in (93), hits (161), and runs scored (110).
All of this earned him an All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger Award.
Turning a year older, and hitting under the Mendoza Line sure did make people forget.
Early returns on “Top Free Agents”, weigh Santana’s 2020 heavier than his overall track record.
Sports Illustrated has Santana ranked as the 30th best free agent (behind the likes of Ceaser Hernandez and his 3 home runs this past season). MLBtraderumors.com has him as the 38th best free agent (behind Adam Wainwright who will be 40 next year, Robbie Ray whose ERA was almost 40 last year (okay 6.62), and Trevor May who gave up a home run every four innings last season with an ERA near 4.00).
Jim Bowden of The Athletic didn’t rank him in his top 25 or include him in the “best of the rest” section which consisted of over forty other players.
The free agent market at first base is weak this year and maybe Santana is guilty by association. MLBtraderumors.com has Santana signing a 1 YR/$6 contract. This is less than what Yuli Guerriel signed for at the end of the season, even though Yuli is nearly two years older and had an OPS less than Santana this past season.
At $6M, even in COVID times where owners are slashing costs and retooling budgets, there should be a line around the corner of people frothing at the mouth to sign Carlos Santana. He is going to make some team happy and I’m shocked he is not getting more love when it comes to Top Free Agent lists.