The New York Yankees are looking to fill their first base position after allowing Anthony Rizzo to enter free agency.
The team declined Rizzo’s option and has yet to make any additions to their lineup. However, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported on X that the Yankees have shown interest in signing Carlos Santana.
“Still a $ gap in Bellinger trade talk with Yankees and Cubs as of this minute. It’s a matter of ‘who blinks first,’ if ever. Still could happen but Yanks also considering Alonso, Walker, C. Santana, J. Naylor, N. Lowe, probably others,” Heyman shared on X.
Santana, who hopes to continue playing for a few more seasons, will likely land a one- or two-year deal in free agency.
In 2024 with the Minnesota Twins, Santana posted a .238 batting average with 23 home runs and 71 RBIs. A former 34-home run hitter, Santana holds a career-best of 113 RBIs.
Analyst Explains Why Santana Fits Yankees
Following Jon Heyman’s report, Mark Polischuk of MLBTradeRumors highlighted that Carlos Santana could be a strong fit for the Yankees.
Santana would offer New York a cost-effective, short-term solution at first base while adding power to the lineup. Additionally, his defensive performance earned him the AL Gold Glove at first base in 2024.
“Signing Santana would be the most straightforward and cost-effective move of the bunch,” Polischuk wrote. “Santana will almost surely require just a one-year guarantee because he is entering his age-39 season. Despite his age, Santana rebounded from a few middling seasons to post a .238/.328/.420 slash line and 23 home runs for the Twins over 594 plate appearances in 2024, while also winning the AL Gold Glove at first base. The combination of offense and defense translated to 3.0 fWAR for Santana, the third-highest of his 15 Major League seasons.”
While Santana will likely earn a raise from the $5.25 million he received with the Twins last season, concerns about his age and potential regression may keep his price reasonable. However, Polischuk noted that signing Santana would represent a “low-upside play,” whereas trading for players like Josh Naylor or Nathaniel Lowe could offer a higher ceiling.
Santana has also been linked to the Seattle Mariners in free agency, but with the Yankees, the veteran slugger would have an opportunity to be a middle-of-the-order bat for a team chasing a World Series title.
New York Has no Plans to Bring Rizzo Back
The Yankees declined Anthony Rizzo’s $17 million player option for 2025 but did not initially rule out the possibility of bringing him back.
However, YES Network’s Jack Curry reported that the Yankees currently have “no plans” to re-sign Rizzo.
Rizzo, who battled injuries throughout the 2024 season, expressed his desire to remain with the team.
“I love playing here, I love being a Yankee,” Rizzo said. “I love what comes with it, I love the standard that has been set here from all the generations, the great Yankees in the past. Yeah, this could very well be (the end of his Yankees tenure). I’m a realist. I’m not naive to it. But I think all that will shape out when the time is right.”
In 2024, Rizzo appeared in just 92 games, hitting .228 with 8 home runs and 35 RBIs.
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