Division rival seen as potential landing spot for Orioles' free agent outfielder

Anthony Santander was a monster for the Orioles in 2024. He had an all time great walk year, hitting 44 homers, driving in 102 runs, and scoring 91 himself, setting himself up for a massive payday in free agency this winter.

There's a lot to like about the 30 year old switch hitter. He's been able to showcase his power for three straight years, and has strong plate discipline to match. Over the past three seasons, where he's really come into his own, Santander has posted a .244/.317/.478 slash line with 105 home runs. While Santander isn't a particularly good defensive outfielder, he's good enough at the plate to mitigate the downside.

All those factors add up to the fact that Santander is likely about to rake in a major contract this winter. He's going to be a fit for a number of rosters, but Jim Bowden of The Athletic threw a surprising landing spot out for Santander in his latest predictions piece.

Bowden suggested that Santander could wind up in Toronto, which would be an interesting fit given the Jays' collapse this past year. On the other hand, the Jays need all the help they can get, and Santander could give their offense a much needed boost.

Anthony Santander primed for a massive free agent contract for 2025

While the Jays might need a center fielder more than someone to play in the corners, Santander would fit well alongside George Springer and Daulton Varsho in the Toronto outfield. He'd certainly be able to take advantage of Toronto's hitter-friendly park dimensions as well, instead of suffering from Baltimore's cavernous new left field wall.

In fact, Bowden used Springer as a potential comp for Santander's free agency case. Springer got 6 years and $150 million from the Blue Jays back in 2021. Bowden also used Brandon Nimmo's 8 year, $162 million as a potential comparison. Both Springer and Nimmo got their contracts in their early 30's, same as Santander is now.

Bowden thinks Santander will get 7 years and $151 million, good for just over $21 million per year. That would be a significant increase over his $11.7 million arbitration salary from 2024. It seems highly unlikely that the Orioles are going to bring him back if that's the price, so they'll have to search elsewhere to find a way to replace Santander's production.