What if I told you the Blue Jays had a Kyle Schwarber/Pete Alonso-esque deal under their nose for a 40-plus home run hitter that required little effort to pull off?
Yes, this is your bi-monthly reminder that Anthony Santander is still under contract with the Blue Jays for at least the next four years and $60.5 million.
On paper, Santander has the potential to be the big bopper in the Blue Jays lineup, but 2025 was a complete disaster for the 31-year-old in a Blue Jays uniform. Along with recent examples like Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi, Santander’s contract in year one with the Blue Jays was a write-off.
According to FanGraphs’ value metric, Santander was worth -$7.6 million, while earning $13.5 million in 2025. As the Blue Jays showed from June onwards, they were a better team without Santander in the lineup. They tried to shoehorn him in for a handful of games at the end of the regular season, and even a few in the playoffs.
Most MLB players aren’t a net negative on their team, and if they are, they’re usually demoted, released or traded away, but the Blue Jays can’t do any of those things with Santander. As much as they’d love to wave a magic wand and make Santander’s contract go away, he’s going to play for the Blue Jays in 2026.
As the Blue Jays attempt to fill the potential void left by Bo Bichette if he signs elsewhere, aside from Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger, there is a severe lack of impact bats on the free agent market. Aside from a trade for an impact bat like Ketel Marte from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Blue Jays likely won’t fill that void via trade.
So, who’s the next best option to add an impact bat? Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins’ favourite buzzword of the 2024 campaign: internal improvements. No player exemplifies that more than Santander, heading into the second year of his five-year deal with the Blue Jays.
Anthony Santander’s back and shoulder “finally feel normal” Schneider said.
“Tony is going to be huge for us.”#BlueJays
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) December 9, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Projection models aren’t bullish on Santander to bounce back in 2026, as he’s projected by Steamer to post a 1.0 fWAR and a 106 wRC+ in 136 games played, just barely above league average. That’s the equivalent of what the Blue Jays got in a limited capacity from Andres Gimenez (1.0 fWAR in 100 games) and Davis Schneider (1.3 fWAR in 82 games).
It’s difficult to forecast the impact a 31-year-old player coming off an injury-riddled 54-game campaign will provide, or how he’ll fit into the mix for the Blue Jays in 2026. One would think the everyday right fielder’s job is Santander’s to lose, but if the Blue Jays sign an impact outfielder, that may push Santander to the other side of the outfield.
Bringing Santander into the fold as an everyday designated hitter is a conversation for a later date, as that spot belongs to George Springer in 2026. The 36-year-old got the bulk of his games at DH, starting 80 of his 140 games there this past season. Springer excelled with less time in the outfield, so messing with a good thing could be a recipe for disaster for the Blue Jays.
Beyond this upcoming season, the designated hitter role is tailor-made for a guy like Santander, but for the time being, if he’s fully healthy, he’ll play the bulk of his games in the outfield, despite not being the best defender in the corners. That’s where someone like Daulton Varsho will need to pick up some of the slack.
For Santander, it boils down to home runs. If he’s not hitting big flies for the Blue Jays, he’s not providing much value for the team. Being a switch-hitter is beneficial for manager John Schneider in late-game situations, but as a low-average/low OBP hitter, Santander needs to crush extra-base hits to carve his spot onto the Blue Jays’ lineup card.
As the 2025 Blue Jays showed, it’s nice to have a 40-plus home run hitter, but it’s not a need, especially if the lineup is predominantly comprised of contact hitters. The Blue Jays only had four hitters who slugged 20-plus home runs during the regular season, yet their .427 team slugging percentage ranked seventh overall, and their 112 wRC+ was tied for fourth.
But if someone like Santander could provide that extra pop — modestly pencilling him in for 27-ish home runs in 2026 — that lengthens the Blue Jays’ lineup that much further. Adding another bat by re-signing Bichette or signing Tucker or Bellinger adds even more dimension to arguably the best lineup in the American League this past season.
Imagine the depth and flexibility the Blue Jays could have if Santander even returned to his 2022-2023 form with the Orioles, where he averaged 2.4 fWAR and 30.5 home runs over those two years. The Blue Jays would be floored to see that level of production from Santander.
Largest contracts to a free agent, Blue Jays history
Dylan Cease (2025) 7-yrs / $210 M (reported)
George Springer (2021) 6-yrs / $150 M
Kevin Gausman (2021) 5-yrs / $110 M
Anthony Santander (2025) 5-yrs / $92.5M pic.twitter.com/5oqIHOjRQU— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 26, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Unless Bichette signs elsewhere, the 2025 Blue Jays are essentially running back their position player core into 2026, with the potential of Santander to be anything but dead weight on the roster in 2026. It’s presumptuous to assume they’ll perform at that high a level with the same cast of characters again, as there will be some form of regression in the lineup.
In 2025, Santander was regression personified, but because he was on the injured list for two-thirds of the season, his vacancy allowed others like Springer, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw and Davis Schneider to raise the bar. Although Santander’s contract is practically immovable, the standard for acceptable production from him in 2026 has risen.
Which is why Santander can silence plenty of critics by coming out and posting a comeback season, a la Springer from 2025. Admittedly, that’s easier said than done, but get accustomed to future referendums on Santander’s place on the Blue Jays roster until he proves otherwise.