According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers are top suitors for outfielder Anthony Santander, who hit 44 home runs this past season with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Blue Jays have actively shopped for top-of-the-market talent ranging from Juan Soto to Corbin Burnes, but they’ve struck out in all of their meaningful free-agent pursuits up to this point. Anthony Santander wouldn’t just represent an opportunity to finally land a big-time name but would also steal a power hitter from a division rival and bolster a huge weakness in the offense.
This past season, the Blue Jays had the fifth-fewest home runs in baseball (156) while posting a measly .389 SLG%, and with some young names being imported onto the roster in Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido, Toronto is hoping to round out their offense with Anthony Santander to hit either directly in front of or behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Blue Jays Battling Another AL Competitor For Anthony Santander
The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers are in desperate need of power, and Anthony Santander would be the perfect cure for their problems. A pure power-hitting outfielder, both teams have the outfield flexibility and depth to stash him at the DH spot, but the Blue Jays specifically profile very well for a masher who struggles on the field. Daulton Varsho is one of the best defensive centerfielders in the sport, covering tons of ground in the outfield with an excellent arm.
Joey Loperfido provided +6 DRS and +1 FRV in 601.2 innings in the outfield, playing elite-level defense in a small sample size at left field, where he could get the starting nod in 2025. The Blue Jays also have Andres Gimenez and Ernie Clement in the infield, who are also premium defenders who should further aid their ability to prevent runs with their brilliant defense.
What they lack is offense, and Anthony Santander does a lot to fix some of those issues as his home-run swing, paired with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a healthy Bo Bichette, could lead to a fearsome trio atop their lineup.
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The Los Angeles Angels were also considered top suitors for Anthony Santander earlier in the week, and while they certainly have shown the ability to spend, the Blue Jays’ desperation could lead to them landing the star bat. Toronto has shown that they’re willing to throw some serious money around; they were involved in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes until the very end, while this past winter being involved in the Juan Soto sweepstakes and making a serious offer for Corbin Burnes.
It’s all ended in the disappointing yet accurate “we tried” reports, and the Blue Jays are reaching a point where missing out on someone like Anthony Santander could truly close the book on their winter. Alex Bregman is still out there, and the Blue Jays have had interest, according to Jon Heyman, but they’re competing with the Tigers on that market as well, who seem to have the former Astro at the top of their wish list.
Anthony Santander isn’t just a player who can improve a deficiency for the Blue Jays but also a free agent who can go against the wave of big names who have spurred Toronto over the past two offseasons.