The Minnesota Twins have lost a lot of talent from their roster after making it to the ALDS last season, which will make their already tough task of going on a playoff run again this season all the more difficult in 2024. On Friday night, though, the Twins managed to bring some talent to town rather than getting rid of it when they signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana.
Santana’s career seemed to be in a downturn after his lone All-Star season in 2019, but he had quite the bounce back campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers in 2023 (.240 BA, 23 HR, 86 RBI, .747 OPS). Santana still packs quite a punch with his bat, and he will be looking to provide the Twins with a source of power after landing a one-year, $5.25 million deal with them.
Via Jon Heyman:
“Carlos Santana Twins deal: $5.25M plus incentives.”
Carlos Santana will give the Twins lineup some much needed power
The Twins had a deep lineup in 2023, but they relied heavily on their pitching staff to carry them to victory for the most part. Santana’s 23 home runs last year would have come in behind only Max Kepler’s 24 on the 2023 team, so it’s clear that his bat will be a big help for their lineup, regardless of how many games he ends up playing.
For the most part, Santana will likely be used as either a first baseman or designated hitter for Minnesota, but he will likely be used in a platoon of sorts at both spots. Santana might not be as productive as he was last season, but if he can hit 15-20 homers for the Twins, this will be looked back on as a good piece of business by their front office.
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