Anthony Santander’s big-money move to Toronto isn’t going according to plan. The Blue Jays are getting almost nothing from their $92.5 million investment, and now he’s hurt.
The slugger landed on the injured list Sunday with left shoulder inflammation. That caps off what’s been a rough start to his five-year deal with Toronto.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale put it bluntly: “He’s now on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation after hitting just .179 with six homers and striking out a career-high 26.3% of the time. He looks like a shadow of himself after hitting 44 homers a year ago for Baltimore.”
That’s not what you want to hear about your marquee free agent signing.
Santander was an All-Star and Silver Slugger winner last season with the Orioles. 44 home runs and an .814 OPS made him one of the better power hitters on the market. Toronto jumped in with that five-year commitment, betting the 30-year-old’s breakout wasn’t a fluke.
So far, that’s looking questionable.
The Blue Jays entered Sunday at 30-28, riding a four-game winning streak but still 5.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. They’re tied with Tampa Bay for second place, which isn’t terrible positioning. But they’d probably be in better shape if their big winter addition was contributing.
Instead, they’re getting a .179 batting average and a strikeout rate that’s the worst of Santander’s career. The shoulder issue explains some of the struggles, but it’s still concerning for a club that needs offensive production.
Looking at Santander’s track record, he’s a career .242/.305/.459 hitter with 161 home runs since the Orioles drafted him 18th overall. Last season was definitely his best, but there were signs of power development in recent years.
The assumption around the organization has to be that once he gets healthy, the numbers will bounce back. That’s what Toronto is banking on, especially with the Blue Jays trying to stay relevant in a competitive AL East.
Right now though, it’s a waiting game. The shoulder needs to heal, and then we’ll see if the player who hit 44 homers shows up in Toronto.
