The New York Yankees are looking at multiple free agent markets right now, but there is a sneaky good option that can fill one of their biggest needs.
Last season, the Yankees lacked quality play at first base, both offensively and defensively. Regular first baseman Anthony Rizzo was worth -0.2 fWAR due to a shocking lack of power and decreasing defensive range, and had his club option declined by the Bronx Bombers. DJ LeMahieu was even worse, hitting just .204 with two home runs, and was worth -0.5 fWAR despite his defensive versatility. Other options included Ben Rice and Oswaldo Cabrera; the former showed flashes of brilliance but isn’t quite MLB ready yet, while the latter is best suited as a utility player on top of lacking strong offensive prowess.
Because of these struggles at first base, the Yankees have been linked to arguably the two best free agents available at the position, those being Pete Alonso and Christian Walker. However, another available first baseman that they should keep an eye on is 38-year-old Carlos Santana.
Despite his advancing age, Santana is coming off a great all-around season with the Minnesota Twins. In his 15th big-league campaign, the switch-hitter slashed .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs, 71 RBI, and a 114 wRC+. Santana’s offensive profile is exactly what the Yankees are looking for; in addition to having power from both sides of the plate (with his left-handed swing being great for Yankee Stadium’s Short Porch), he has consistently been one of the league’s most disciplined hitters with a 10.9% walk rate, ranking in the 82nd percentile on Baseball Savant. Meanwhile, his strikeout rate was only 16.7%, which ranks in the 79th percentile.
An even bigger surprise is Santana’s excellent defense; even at age 38, the slugger was worth 14 outs above average with a fielding run value of 11, which subsequently earned him his first Gold Glove Award. Both of those defensive metrics were even better than those of Christian Walker, who is often considered the best defensive first baseman in the league right now. With Santana’s amazing fielding combined with his steady bat, he had his best overall season since 2019 with a 3.0 fWAR.
Of course, due to being a player in his very late-30s, there will be questions about how much Santana has left in the tank. However, Spotrac projects the first baseman to get a one-year, $5.6 million contract, which would be an absolute bargain for the Yankees as they look to allocate their resources more efficiently.
While Santana may not be the biggest name available, the Bronx Bombers should absolutely pursue the veteran, as the potential reward significantly outweigh the risks.
