According to Jeff Passan, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement with first baseman Carlos Santana on a one-year deal, pending physical. The value is said to be $6.7M.
First baseman Carlos Santana and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on a one-year, $6.7 million contract, pending physical, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN. News, free and unlocked, at ESPN: https://t.co/Wm8Qoyin0S
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 26, 2022
Santana, who will turn 37 years old shortly after Opening Day, has spent 13 seasons in the majors, mostly with the Cleveland Indians. He started as a catcher. but he hasn’t caught since the 2014 season. He split 2022 between first base and DH. He is a career .242/.359/.432 hitter in 1,784 games, with 32.1 WAR to his credit. He was an All-Star and Silver Slugger winner in 2019, and he has received MVP votes in two seasons.
Santana had a .911 OPS in 158 games in 2019, when he had a career best 4.5 WAR. He has not approached that number since then, putting up a .699 OPS in 60 games during the shortened 2020 season. He had a .660 OPS in 158 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2021, and he split the 2022 season between the Royals and Seattle Mariners, posting a .202/.316/.376 slash line in 131 games. He has 2.1 WAR total over the last three season, and he has -0.9 dWAR during that time.
The Pirates have recently picked up first basemen Ji-Man Choi and Lewin Diaz. Both are left-handed hitters, while Santana is a right-handed hitter.
Jon Heyman has this tidbit of info, though some recent studies of the minor leagues under the new rules have shown that banning shifting hasn’t made much of a difference.
Carlos Santana agrees to $6.725M deal for 2023 with Pirates. Most shifted player as lefty batter last year could benefit from new rules.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 26, 2022