The San Francisco Giants revamped their roster for 2024 with playoff aspirations but fell short, finishing with an 80-82 record under manager Bob Melvin. As they look to bounce back in 2025, could free-agent slugger Anthony Santander be a target?
Christian Rauh of SI.com identified three potential outfield upgrades for the Giants, with Santander among them. The 29-year-old is entering free agency after an eight-year stint with the Baltimore Orioles, where he had an impressive 2024 season.
Santander hit a career-high 44 home runs, second in the American League behind Aaron Judge, setting the stage for a significant payday. He was one of only four players to surpass 40 homers in 2024 and achieved personal bests in several categories, including an .814 OPS, 135 OPS+, 102 RBI, 91 runs scored, and a 3.3 WAR, per FanGraphs.
Having earned $11.7 million with the Orioles in 2024, Santander is expected to command a much larger contract, with Spotrac estimating a five-year, $88 million deal.
How Anthony Santander Can Fit Into the Giants’ Lineup
Santander took on multiple roles for the Orioles this past season, appearing in 130 games as a right fielder, 25 as a designated hitter, and even playing one inning at first base.
The Giants could benefit from upgrades in all three areas for 2024. Their right fielders posted a .239/.305/.429 slash line with 24 homers, 70 RBI, and 70 runs scored over 630 plate appearances, with Mike Yastrzemski getting most of the playing time in 121 games.
San Francisco’s designated hitters ranked 16th in the league with a 103 wRC+, contributing 20 homers, 66 RBI, and 91 runs scored. Much of that production came from Jorge Soler, who was traded at the deadline.
First base is another position in need of improvement, as the Giants’ collective 100 wRC+ ranked 21st in MLB, with 14 homers, 62 RBI, and 65 runs scored. Though Santander has only played 12 career games at first base, it could be a creative option for the Giants to consider in the future.
Could Anthony Santander Break the Giants’ Power Drought?
The Giants play their home games at Oracle Park, a stadium known for being pitcher-friendly. According to Statcast’s Park Factors, it’s been rated the toughest ballpark for hitting home runs in MLB over the last three years.
Despite winning three World Series titles since 2010, the Giants have lacked a true power hitter. Barry Bonds remains the last player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season for the team, with 45 homers and 101 RBI in 2004. There was some optimism this past winter when the team signed Soler to a three-year, $42 million contract, hoping he would break the long home run drought. However, those hopes were dashed when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in July. Even if he had stayed, the streak didn’t seem likely to end this year.
Soler hit 12 home runs in 93 games before the trade, while the team’s 2024 home run leader, Matt Chapman, hit 27 homers in his debut season with San Francisco. Santander could potentially end the drought if he signs with the Giants, as he’s already had two seasons with 30 or more homers, including 44 in 2024.
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