The Toronto Blue Jays are making waves in the offseason market, reportedly engaging in advanced discussions with free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander. According to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith, talks between the two parties “picked up” on Friday morning, fueled by mutual interest. While no deal has been finalized, momentum appears to be building.
The Blue Jays have been linked to Santander for months, with reports from November indicating that their front office “badly coveted” the 30-year-old slugger. As other marquee outfielders like Juan Soto, Teoscar Hernández, and Tyler O’Neill signed elsewhere, Santander has emerged as one of the most attractive remaining options for Toronto to bolster their lineup.
Earlier this month, Hector Gomez reported that the Blue Jays had offered Santander a four-year, $82 million contract. However, rumors now suggest Santander might entertain a shorter-term deal with a higher average annual value, potentially giving the Blue Jays flexibility to secure his signature.
Santander, a former All-Star, brings a potent mix of power and consistency to the plate. In 2024, he continued to impress with the Baltimore Orioles, showcasing his ability to deliver in key moments. For the Blue Jays, Santander’s addition would provide a significant boost to the outfield and middle of the batting order as they aim to contend in the highly competitive AL East.
As negotiations continue, fans in Toronto are eager to see if their team can land one of the top free agents on the market. Stay tuned for updates as the Blue Jays look to solidify their roster ahead of the 2025 season.
Santander just wrapped up a standout season with the Baltimore Orioles, marking his first All-Star selection, earning a Silver Slugger award, and finishing 14th in AL MVP voting. He batted .235, smacked 44 home runs, drove in 102 RBIs, posted an .814 OPS, and recorded a 2.9 WAR over 155 games in 2024.
The switch-hitting Santander has been a mainstay in Baltimore’s lineup since June 2019 and has been remarkably durable, missing only 26 games since the start of 2022. Over the past six seasons, he has averaged 36 home runs, 34 doubles, 99 RBIs, and a 2.7 WAR per 162 games.
Santander has especially excelled against the Blue Jays, compiling 21 home runs, 15 doubles, and 52 RBIs with a .258 batting average and an .845 OPS in 80 games against them. However, his performance at Rogers Centre has been less impressive, where he has hit just .194 with six home runs, 16 RBIs, and a .673 OPS in 27 career games.
Toronto has also been linked to third baseman Alex Bregman, the top remaining bat on the market. However, signing Santander would likely make it difficult for the club to pursue Bregman, potentially impacting the infield setup.
Instead, adding Santander to a group that already features Gold Glove winner Daulton Varsho and four-time All-Star George Springer would give the Blue Jays quite the outfield trio to work with. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Andrés Giménez and Alejandro Kirk will also be in Toronto’s Opening Day lineup, which could slug the team back to the postseason in 2025.