.jpg)
3 hours ago
3
Could the Cleveland Guardians really trade first baseman Carlos Santana?
The 16-year MLB veteran, now in his third stint with Cleveland (2010-17, 2019-20, 2025), is an organizational fixture and even in his later days, remains a reliable player.
Tim Stebbins of MLB.com had this to say on Santana:
“Moving Santana is unlikely, as the Guardians are in the postseason race and positioned to tap into their farm system to buy at the Deadline, not sell. If you consider potential trade chips on the big league roster in a sell scenario, however, the 39-year-old has a lot of value. Santana is on a one-year deal and having a strong season at the plate (.740 OPS) and in the field (+3 Outs Above Average).”
Additionally, Santana is batting .255 with a 110 OPS+, seven home runs, 29 RBIs, 31 walks to 43 strikeouts, and has even stolen two bases without getting caught.
While Stebbins is correct in identifying Santana as a valuable trade chip, there are several obstacles for the Guardians. For one, how much can they get for Santana? He makes sense for a contending team in need of a left-handed bat, but that is a limited pool.
A mid-tier prospect or lesser-regarded MLB player might be the best haul Cleveland can find on the market. Older, pending free agents are not usually the most attractive pieces, especially at $12 million.
Secondly, Santana is a real weapon in the middle of this Guardians’ order. They are scoring just 3.91 runs per game (24th-best in baseball), and sacrificing one of their better bats feels unwise. If anything, it would make more sense for Cleveland to deal one of their many talented arms for extra batting.
At 34-30 and a fringe postseason team, the Guardians still have plenty of time to surge into October and return to the American League Championship Series. Outside of the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers, this league is wide-open, and there is no reason Cleveland can not ascend near the top.
Moving Santana likely hinders those efforts, even for a fair package.
English (US)