Carlos Santana Agrees To One-Year Contract Worth $6.7 Million With Pirates

Carlos Santana has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The first baseman’s deal is worth $6.7 million and is pending based on the results of a physical, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.

This past season, Santana played a combined 131 games with the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals.

Between the two teams, the 36-year-old hit .202/.316/.376 (batting average, on-base and slugging percentage).

Santana has also knocked 19 home runs last year.

Along with his power, Santana has also shown good discipline at the plate throughout his career – having a walk rate of more than 13% in every season of his MLB career.

Additionally, with the shift banned in 2023, Santana, who bats switch, could get more opportunities for base hits from the left side.

The move to sign Santana for the Pirates comes after it has been rebuilding its roster.

Last year, the Pirates had the third youngest team in the league with an average age of 27.46, according to Statista.

So Santana will add a veteran presence to the team’s clubhouse.

The Pirates also acquired 31-year-old first baseman Ji-Man Choi from the Tampa Bay Rays in a trade earlier this month.

It’s unclear how much more active the Pirates will be in free agency – but typically the organization acts as a small market ball club.

For 2023, the Pirates so far have just $25 million committed to its roster, according to spotrac.

Last year, the Pirates made a big investment in one of its young promising players – singing third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to an eight-year extension worth a guaranteed $70 million.

It also includes a team option for a ninth year.

In 2022, the 25-year-old hit .244/.314/.345.

The Pirates finished dead last in the NL Central division last year with a 62-100 record.

If the losing continues into 2023, Santana and Choi could be pieces the team uses to acquire future assets around the trade deadline.

Article by Anthony Russo