Multiple sources including ESPN and AP have reported that MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a three-year deal with former Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana on Friday. According to the sources, the deal is worth around $60 million.
Santana’s deal is $60M for 3 years with philly
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 15, 2017
With a deal under his belt, Santana became the first one to get a contract out of nine free agents who decided they will not accept qualifying offers from their teams.
Born in the Dominican Republic, the 31-year-old Carlos Santana started his professional baseball career by signing a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005. He didn’t, however, made a debut for the Dodgers, instead of playing for their rookie-level minor league affiliate Gulf Coast Dodgers. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2008. He had to wait until June 2010 in order to have his major league debut.
During his eight years with the Indians, Santana had a batting average of .249 with 995 hits and 174 home runs. Each of his seasons in the pros, he had at least 18 home run and finished in the top ten in the American League (AL) in bases on balls. Last season Santana managed 23 homers and 79 RBIs.
Santana represents a big catch for the Philadelphia Phillies, who are currently in a rebuilding phase. The team previously made another move, trading Freddy Galvis to the San Diego Padres. It is believed that they want to give starting shortstop job to the top prospect J.P. Crawford. Phillies finished the 2017 season on the 5th place of NL East with a 66 – 96 record.
When it comes to Indians, they lost a key player who helped them conquer the American League (AL) last season with a 102 – 60 record. It is now expected for the Indians to go on the market and try to find a replacement for Santana.
