The Angels were certainly interest kings when it came to the Anthony Santander sweepstakes. The switch-hitting outfielder just signed a five-year deal worth $92.5 million with the Toronto Blue Jays. Santander can opt out after the third year (per Ken Rosenthal), and the Blue Jays have a club option for a sixth year. The Blue Jays are adding an intimidating presence at the plate and his 44 home runs from 2024 to boot. The Venezuela-native was a divisive figure amongst Angels fans. Some are bummed out to miss out on adding one of the top power bats available, while others view this as the team dodging a bullet.
Anthony Santander’s deal with the Blue Jays is for five years and more than $90 million, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 20, 2025
Pro on missing out on Santander: possible regression, poor defense
Santander is a great player, but nobody necessarily views him as a bona fide star. Even die-hard Orioles fans who love Santander would not say that he is the most essential player (they will likely just pencil in Heston Kjerstad next season and call it a day). The worst things teams can do in sports is paying non-stars like stars -- that completely handicaps a team's ability to compete. Outside of hitting for power and some clutch moments, Santander does not add much.
Santander is not athletic, not a good defender, not a good baserunner, does not hit for average, and does not get on base much. Some suggest that his game would not have translated well to the Big A, and his poor splits in Anaheim would back that up. Furthermore, he is entering his age-30 season and those un-athletic sluggers do not age well historically.
Con on missing out on Santander: Angels desperately need a left-handed power bat
Santander would certainly have helped address the Angels' biggest hole on the roster. The team desperately needs players who can put balls into seats. Everybody agrees that Santander is great in the clubhouse too. Mike Trout is just not a reliable player these days, Zach Neto is rehabbing a shoulder injury, and Jorge Soler and Taylor Ward can only do so much. Santander would have really rounded out the lineup well, given that he is a switch-hitter and could have been penciled into the clean-up spot every time he was available.
Perry Minasian has reiterated that he really wants to add more SLG to the lineup, and the internal candidates do not necessarily fit the bill there. Let's hope Niko Kavadas can carry over his incredible performance at the Arizona Fall League to the regular season. He's the best left-handed power bat in the entire franchise.
Pro on missing out on Santander: holding onto draft capital
The Angels are likely not going to compete in 2024, despite spending $80.3 million thus far in the offseason. The organization should probably be going all-in for 2026, despite the American League looking up for the grabs next season. The club is just not all the way there yet, and needs unproven commodities like Christian Moore and Caden Dana to establish themselves fully before they can come close to whiffing a postseason berth.
The 2025 MLB Draft could be absolutely pivotal to the Angels' success. Securing the no. 2 pick could quite possibly springboard LAA into a bountiful future, as well as picking 2nd in every subsequent round. Giving up even one draft pick does not seem wise given where the team is currently and where it could end up down the road.
Con on missing out on Santander: the draft capital was not all that important
Ken Rosenthal went into great detail when breaking down what it would mean for the Angels to sign a player with an attached qualifying offer. Losing out on the 47th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft sounds bad, especially when it concerns the Angels. A team that lost 99 games in 2024 should not be throwing draft picks away, right? Well, Rosenthal's research suggests that players who are not historically the most impactful players at the big league level.
The Angels would have lost a potential commodity, but the top brass continually has repeated that the club is going all-in to make the playoffs in 2025. The trade-off of bringing in a switch-hitting power bat for the 47th draft pick seems like a no-brainer.