Offer Anthony Santander 3 year 60 million contract

[LockUpTheGunner]

Mike Elias recently said on MASN that Anthony is a huge part of the Orioles offense. Therefore, I am wondering if Mike is interested in resigning him. I was under the impression that Anthony was as good as gone after this season. Now, I am starting to wonder. Before the season is over, I would offer Anthony a 3 year 60 million dollar contract. You can't wait until Anthony is a free agent to try and resign him. It wouldn't surprise me if another MLB team offered Anthony 100 million or more especially with the season that he is having. If the Orioles resign Anthony, I think you have to strongly consider getting rid of Cedric Mullins especially with all the young outfielders the Orioles have.

[interloper]

3/$60 is the number I had in my head as well and I'd do it in a heartbeat. 

[banks703]

I don't think that Tony accepts that offer. I don't know if he'll get a higher AAV but I think he will get more years and overall money.

[AdamK]

I like it. I would.

[HowAboutThat]

I wonder if the rules allow negotiation before a QO is handed out? Do some negotiation before seasons end, find out his number, if he says no to the offer, THEN you give him a QO, knowing you’ve tried your best, and he’ll turn it down?

Is that allowed? I thought negotiations weren’t allowed till ten days after the WS ended.

[CTBear]

An alternative could be lower AAV but with an opt out. Gives him the incentive to have another big year and the O’s another year to bridge the gap to our younger outfield talent. I don’t see Kjerstad or anyone else making up Tony’s production yet but maybe it evens out more by 2026. 

[Say O!]

It’s going to be interesting to see what type of budget and how Elias chooses to deploy those funds.

I think ME will operate like Ravens EDC…in that he will have a price and if the market exceeds that, well then bless the highest bidder.  This will play out with Burnes and Santander.

With a guy like Eflin on the roster next year, back end of bullpen having enough quantity, there are now several options to proceed

A. highest $$$ = sign both Burnes and Santander

B. sign Santander, trade Kjerstad+Povich/McD+prospects for starting pitching (Crochet?)

C. sign Burnes, let Santander walk, Kjerstad to RF

Edited August 1 by Say O!

[thegardner]

This would be a bargain, hope it happens.

He's worked so hard to stay on the field and get better, "availability is the best ability" excellent philosophy, this is what his trainer said:

“Anthony started looking at, what can he do to be better as a pro,” Jones said. “He came to Florida and interviewed multiple facilities. He told me he was coming, he gave me his background. I researched him and everything, find out what his issues were. We had a conversation and I was like, ‘You are a talented player, but you’ve gotten away from the things that made you great.’ He was like, ‘What is that?’ And I was like, ‘Being an athlete because that’s what powers the skill set. You have to move well. And you’re not moving well. All these injuries are accumulating over time and they’re starting to slow you down. You have to get back to moving well as a human being first and then transition to moving well as an athlete, and then transition to moving good and playing well as a baseball player.’

“That seemed to sell him on taking a different approach to train. That’s years of experience, trial and error, that kind of led to me understanding that keeping an athlete on the field is what matters. Availability is the best ability. And him being resilient to injury, being healthy and having a great routine in place, carries over for them day to day.”

[wildcard]

What makes you think that 3 years would be enough?

[webbrick2010]

He'll get more years and total dollars

He may finish in the top 5 for AL MVP, definitely top 10

[Say O!]

6 minutes ago, webbrick2010 said:

He'll get more years and total dollars

He may finish in the top 5 for AL MVP, definitely top 10

I’m not so sure about that.  Current fWAR leaderboard for American League (batters only).  Santander not even in top 20 as of today.

[sportsfan8703]

4 minutes ago, Say O! said:

I’m not so sure about that.  Current fWAR leaderboard for American League (batters only).  Santander not even in top 20 as of today.

How many of these players will be available as FA at the end of this season?  Santander will be the highest ranked position player available in terms of WAR in the AL.  

[Tony-OH]

I like Santander. He's a power hitting switch hitter and is in the middle of his first All-Star season. 

Saying that, he's 29-years old, he has career .248 avg and .308 OBP, he's slow (23rd percentile sprint speed) and he's below average or slightly below average right fielder depending on if you go by dWAR (-0.7) or statcast (-1 OAA).

The Orioles have Kjerstad ready to play RF every day. While the Orioles did trade away a lot of their real outfield depth in Hays, Stowers, and Norby, I'm ok going into 2025 with an outfield of Cowser, Mullins and Kjerstad next season. 

The one wildcard in this is if they decide to really try and convert Mayo to RF which would give them that added depth if he can potentially play out there effectively. 

I think someone is going to overpay for Santander and the Orioles are in a position to not overpay for a 29-year old coming off a career year. I just don't like investing in 29-year olds unless they are super stars. The late 90s Orioles went that direction and we all know what that led too. 

I think he gets offered the QO and someone else will sign him this offseason.

[Just Regular]

The most significant action I've believed Elias might take affecting Santander's outlook was dealing one of Cowser or Kjerstad.

Had that occurred, I would have thought....maybe.

Now the forecast is clearer.

Sure after the World Series maybe a conversation resumes if Kjerstad/EBJ can anchor a Garrett Crochet acquisition, but I believe Anthony Santander is a strong favorite to lock into his 2025 team before Chris Getz can make up his mind about what to do.

[Jim'sKid26]

It seems like a complete "no-brainer" to offer him a QO. The upside is either that he takes it and you have another year of a MOO bat you use in RF/DH or he doesn't take it and the O's get draft compensation. The only downside I see is if he signs as a FA with another AL East team. I think he would be very dangerous playing half his games at Fenway, for example.