New Deal with Orioles to Motivate Anthony Santander

It has been reported that the Baltimore Orioles and Anthony Santander have agreed to deal, avoiding arbitration

The deal reached between the Baltimore Orioles and Anthony Santander on Tuesday is good for one year, worth $3.15 million dollars.  The Major League Baseball non-tender deadline was set for November 30th at 8:00 PM ET. A player who is non-tendered becomes a free agent, joining the pool of players looking to test the market this winter.

Santander has been with the Orioles since being selected in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft from the Cleveland Indians.  Despite starting his Oriole career on the disabled list, Santander has proven to be a nice addition to the organization.  Before straining his oblique mid-way through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Santander was putting up MVP-type numbers.

It would’ve been great to see him stay healthy the rest of 2020 so everyone could see just how good his season was.  As a switch-hitter with pop, Anthony Santander has shown that he has what it takes to be an everyday major leaguer and this is why General Manager Mike Elias decided to tender him a contract.

It’s still too early to tell in the rebuild if Santander will be part of it in the end. But, right now, he is a mainstay in the outfield.  Maybe down the line, he can be a full-time designated hitter, but that’s only if he can continue to get better at the plate.

With this deal, Santander should become further motivated to get even better.  The more his game improves, the more long-term, high-paying contract offers he will receive when he reaches free agency in 2025, so we should expect him to put up even bigger numbers in 2022 and beyond.  His potential is limitless and fans will have the privilege to see him play every day in hopes of being one of the greats in an Oriole uniform.