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10. Colorado Rockies
Would signing Santander do anything to prevent the Rockies from finishing dead-last in the NL West in 2025? No. But are there 10 contenders who both need Santander and the ability to pay him close to $100M? Also no. So why not? His primary skill set is launching home runs, so maybe he could put together a solid several-year run at Coors Field.
9. Washington Nationals
It would be a bit shocking if the Nats gave Santander the type of major contract they gave Jayson Werth 14 years ago. If they’re going that route for a big-name splash, I have to believe it would be for Alex Bregman, given how dire their 3B situation is compared to their corner OF situation. But maybe? We certainly expected them to do more this offseason than trade for Nate Lowe and sign Mike Soroka and Josh Bell to one-year deals.
8. San Diego Padres
After a few consecutive years of extremely busy offseasons, the Padres have done a heaping pile of nothing this winter. This includes not yet doing anything to replace Jurickson Profar, leaving them with a gaping hole in left field. However, unless they ultimately do trade away either Luis Arraez or Dylan Cease, there’s probably no room in the budget for the Friars to sign Santander.
7. Athletics
If the A’s are serious about increasing their payroll (currently at an estimated $58.4 million) to around $100 million, signing Santander would be a major step in that direction. And though both JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler had breakout seasons in 2024, there’s still one spot in this outfield that could benefit from an upgrade. If they’re going to do more spending, though, it’ll probably be dedicated to the pitching staff.
6. San Francisco Giants