MLB rumors: Carlos Santana being pursued by 3 of his former teams

Three of Carlos Santana’s previous employers — the Brewers, Pirates, and Mariners — are reportedly pursuing a reunion with him via free agency.

At this point in free agency, there remains plenty of talented players on both sides of the ball that are available. On the hitting side of things, the likes of Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and Joc Pederson are all available, not to mention the returning Rhys Hoskins. However, for teams that are operating on more of a budget, impact hitters who won’t cost too much are becoming more appealing targets the closer we get to Spring Training, with one example being Carlos Santana.

Santana was trending towards washed-up territory to begin the 2020s, but over the past two seasons, the veteran first baseman is showing that he still has something left in the tank. As a result, three of his former employers, namely the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Pittsburgh Pirates are all reportedly pursuing a reunion with the 37-year old slugger, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

 

Carlos Santana split the 2024 season with the Pirates and Brewers, suiting up for a total of 146 games for the two teams. His batting average hovered near the .250s for much of the season, finishing with .240, but he made up for it with his ability to draw walks and get on base nonetheless.

He had a walk rate of 10.5 percent, as he continues to be one of the more patient and disciplined hitters in the big leagues, and this is where the bulk of his value comes from even as his power production has declined. Nevertheless, his slugging percentage, which was trending down, got a bit of an uptick in 2023, with Santana finishing with 23 home runs and a total of 57 extra base hits (among 132 total hits), finishing the season with an .SLG of .429, which is his best output since 2019.

It stands to reason that Carlos Santana would want to sign with a team where he can get a starting gig. The Brewers, Mariners, and Pirates can all give Santana that pathway. Milwaukee, in particular, may want to keep Santana after he finished the 2023 season strong with the team, as they currently have the strikeout-prone Jake Bauers as the leading first baseman on their depth chart.