He set a career-high with 44 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles in his final season before becoming a free agent. Now, as 2025 begins, he’s still awaiting news on where he’ll play next season and beyond.
Santander, who has spent his entire career with the Orioles, including the last eight years in the major leagues, has attracted interest from six teams, including Baltimore, according to a recent report by Hector Gomez.
However, the most lucrative offer comes from Toronto. Gomez reports that the Blue Jays are leading the race to sign the Venezuelan outfielder with a four-year, $82 million contract. The Angels, Tigers, Astros, Mets, and Orioles are also reportedly interested.
The Orioles’ biggest move so far this offseason has been signing another power-hitting outfielder, Tyler O’Neill, to a three-year, $49.5 million deal with an opt-out after 2025. O’Neill, 29, hit 31 home runs and drove in 61 RBIs for the Boston Red Sox in 2024.
Baltimore has also made smaller roster additions, including signing 35-year-old starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year, $13 million contract and Gary Sanchez, who will back up catcher Adley Rutschman, to a one-year, $8.5 million deal.
To retain Santander, the Orioles will need to compete with Toronto, which has already missed out on free agents Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernández. Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, and Hernández agreed to a three-year, $66 million deal with the Dodgers.
The Blue Jays are coming off a disappointing 74-88 season and face the potential loss of key players Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to free agency next year. Prioritizing their outfield and taking advantage of what may be their final season in Toronto is understandable.
Their outfield was a major issue in 2024, with Davis Schneider, Daulton Varsho, and George Springer each posting an OPS of .700 or lower. The Jays’ biggest offseason acquisition, Andres Gimenez, is a second baseman. Signing Santander could help the team move Schneider into a utility role while giving pitchers another power threat beside Guerrero.
Additionally, it would take a key player away from the division-rival Orioles. Santander, 30, has hit 155 home runs and driven in 435 RBIs over the past eight seasons with Baltimore.
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