Blue Jays sign Anthony Santander to 5-year, $92.5 million contract
Jorge Castillo, ESPN staff writer
The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms with outfielder Anthony Santander on a five-year, $92.5 million contract, giving the team their best shot of the offseason after failed attempts to sign free agents in recent years. One of the hands.
The deal, which was announced by his agent at the Beverly Hills Sports Commission and is pending a physical, includes an opt-out clause and an upgraded team option through 2030 that would make the deal Valued at $110 million over six years.
Santander was a Rule 5 draft pick after the 2016 season, was promoted to starter during the Baltimore Orioles' lean rebuild, and then became a key component of the team's playoff teams the past two seasons.
Santander, 30, had a career-best season in 2024, making his first American League All-Star team and hitting 44 home runs, 102 RBIs and 25 doubles in 155 games. A .506 slugging percentage before hitting free agency this winter.
Last season's home runs ranked third in the majors, behind only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. They're also the fifth-highest ever by a change-hitter in a single season and the most by any player since Lance Berkman shot 45 in 2006.
Santander's shortcomings — he only has a .307 career on-base percentage and isn't a strong defender — didn't stop him from signing a contract with a team that's been eager to add impact players. Multi-year contract.
The Blue Jays were considered finalists to sign Ohtani, Juan Soto, Corbin Burns and Raki Sasaki the past two offseasons, but fell short each time. In Santander, Toronto adds a star one level below those four, but will bolster a lineup centered around Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who will Will become a free agent next winter.
Santander's offense also better complements one of the best starting rotations in baseball as the organization looks to reverse its slide toward the bottom of the American League East.
With Santander receiving and rejecting a qualifying offer from the Orioles, the Blue Jays will lose their second-highest draft pick in 2025 and the $500,000 in international bonus pool space that came with signing him.