Cubs Free Agent Target: Anthony Santander |
It's not always good for the Chicago Cubs to be at the center of MLB news.
More often than not, the results are not positive, and that is what is currently going on. Not only did the Matthew Boyd signing raise more questions than answers, but it does appear that the Cubs are now on the verge of moving Cody Bellinger, which brings a whole new meaning to the word "frustrating." This is a player the Cubs brought in on a three-year deal last season but is tied in opt-out clauses for various reasons. After a down year last season, the Cubs were hoping he would opt out to free up nearly 30 million in cap space, but he chose to opt in instead. On paper, that is an excellent acquisition for the Cubs as it gives them a legitimate left-handed bat, but that may not be good enough for the Cubs as they are still searching to improve this roster. Trading Bellinger is one way the Cubs feel will help improve their roster. He is not only on the trade block, but it does feel like he will be moved sooner rather than later. Given his $27.5 million dollar salary, you can see why the Cubs want to move him, but finding a replacement for him won't come easy. The Cubs are banking on guys like Owen Caissie to step in and pick up the slack, but everyone knows prospects are prospects, and there are a lot of times when those prospects don't pan out or don't live up to the hype. However, there is one name that makes so much sense for the Cubs to look at, and it's impossible to ignore. Should the Cubs move on from Bellinger, not only are they looking for OF help, but they are looking for left-handed power help, and that is where former Baltimore Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander comes into play. Granted, Santander is a switch hitter, but most of his power comes from the left side, and he is coming off of a career season. Expected to land a five- to six-year contract for north of 120 million dollars, Santander will cost more than the Cubs may be willing to spend, but they need to consider making the move. At 30 years old, Santander is getting close to falling out of his prime, but even if you get two or three great years out of him, the deal would be worth it. Not much of an average hitter, Santander has hit .246 across his eight MLB seasons, including just .234 last season. That does raise some concerns, but in a world where more hitters worry less about average and instead focus on power, Santander has followed that trend as he has become one of the more underrated power hitters in baseball. Over his first four MLB seasons, Santander consistently hit around .260, but he failed to hit more than 20 homers in any of those seasons. His best season was in 2019, when he clubbed 20 homers, drove in 59, and hit .261. Those are average numbers at best, but certainly not the types of numbers that will land you a 30-million-dollar contract. It wasn't until 2022 that something clicked, as Santander started to tap into his power and immediately became one of the best run producers in baseball. In that season, Santander hit just .240, but with 33 homers and 89 RBIs, you started to see the production increase. One season later, his average rose to .257, while the production slightly decreased as he hit 28 homers. However, he drove in 95 runs, which was a career-high up to that point. The 2024 season was not only the best season of Santander's career, but it came in a contract season, which is why some are questioning whether or not he can do it again. Despite his average falling to a career-low, his power numbers rose to career highs, as he belted 44 homers while also driving in a career-best 102. He took 58 walks and struck out 129 times, as getting on base was a big part of his game last season. As mentioned above, those numbers came in a contract year, and there have been plenty of cases where players perform well in a contract year before falling off after signing their big deal. While there is no guarantee that it will happen to Santander, it's something to consider. Even if he goes back to the 2022 or 2023 version of himself, that production alone would be the best on the Cubs, improving this team.
