Anthony Santander: Trade Chip or Rebound Candidate?

Santander signed in Toronto following a career-best 44-home run 2024 campaign with the Baltimore Orioles, and his performance fell well short of expectations this past season.

He slashed a mere .175/.271/.294 with six home runs and 18 RBI over 54 games. His -0.9 fWAR was tied for the worst on the team with reliever Chad Green (DFA’d in July, 5.57 ERA), and his 61 wRC+ was the worst among all Blue Jays hitters with at least 50 plate appearances.

It’s safe to say that the Santander experiment didn’t work out for either side in 2025. But he’s still signed for four more seasons, so there’s time for the Jays to find space and time to work with Santander…right?

The Blue Jays currently have an absolutely stacked outfield with more than plenty of players worthy of starting roles fighting for regular playing time. In center field, Daulton Varsho is one of the best (if not the best) defenders in all of MLB, and he’s blocking fellow defensive stud Myles Straw, who consistently emerges off the bench as a late-inning defensive switch for the corner outfield positions.

In left field, Toronto utilized Nathan Lukes excellently in 2025, as he racked up 17 playoff hits while starting games in left consistently, and Davis Schneider often platoons against lefties in his place.

In right field, young slugger Addison Barger likely holds the starting spot with his cannon of an arm (99th percentile arm strength), and resurgent veteran George Springer should slot into the Jays’ DH spot while playing some games in right field.

Among all these names, Anthony Santander was given a starting role for the first few months of the 2025 season based on his previously-showcased talents, and things just didn’t fall into place for him.

Now, he’ll have to fight for a spot in the lineup each and every game. He even had to fight to start in games following his late-season return from injury last year, and he could have at least one new face to contend with now in free agent signing Kazuma Okamoto.

What If He Were Traded?

If Santander were to be traded, the Jays would likely find it hard to make a deal without retaining a good chunk of his $92.5 million contract, which is only 20% complete so far. If they do, Blue Jays would likely be able to shed him for a some prospects or MLB-ready talent from a team like the Royals with enough room in the budget to take on some of his contract.

Cutting ties with Santander would symbolize accepting defeat on the massive contract they tendered him only a year ago, but it’s a move that just might have to be done if the Jays can’t find enough room for him night in and night out.

However, there is still a possibility that he’s going to play a big role on the roster and platoon with some other outfielders in Toronto, but that’s not the ideal use of a nearly-$100 million player.

Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, and Bo Bichette have become the latest All-Star names to sign out of free agency, and with the Jays missing out on all three, Santander might be safe for now.

With that said, he might prefer to be on a team where he gets the majority of playing time in the outfield, as when he signed in Toronto, he was the shoo-in starting right fielder. Someone making his money might have some pull in making a potential move happen if there was interest from both sides to move on.

But would Santander want out of Toronto, a city that just hosted Game 7 of the World Series? Perhaps not, but player requests aren’t often how decisions are made in MLB anyhow; it’s going to be up to the Jays’ front office. If he does get traded, don’t expect the Blue Jays to get much in return, unless they eat a significant portion of his massive contract in the deal.

Santander’s Potential for a Bounce-Back Season in 2026

Santander might’ve been a bit banged up in 2025, but he still has the potential to be one of the league’s best power hitters.

He ranked toward the bottom of the league in virtually every offensive metric according to Baseball Savant, but he still maintains a strong ability to command the strike zone. He had the best walk rate of his career last season, beating his previous single-season high (8.7% in 2024) by posting a mark of 11.3%.

Unfortunately, this came with an increase in strikeout rate, and it was predominantly against fastballs. His 19.9% whiff rate on fastballs from 2024 ballooned to over 25% in 2025, and his slugging percentage overall almost halved from .506 to .294.

He missed a large portion of the season due to a left shoulder injury, so his performance on the field could have been largely hindered by this. He’s a prime candidate to return strongly in 2026 after rehabbing his injury.

In the 2025 postseason, he tallied three hits and drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, and although it wasn’t very much, it was a sign that he’s still got some prowess at the plate. With a clean slate coming up in 2026, he can really prove himself if he has an opportunity to.

It’s simply a matter of whether he has the chance to show his true value to the Blue Jays, and in an organization that’s trying to make it back to the World Series for a second consecutive season, he might not get that chance.

Maybe he’s not as good as he was with the Orioles, or maybe he’s just been getting bad luck with injuries – that’s for the Blue Jays to decide.

Closing Thoughts

The Toronto Blue Jays have made plenty of big-name moves so far this offseason, and they’ve still held onto Santander through all the rumours of potentially signing a top-end free agent outfielder. Nobody truly knows what the future holds for him and the team, but if Santander can perform like the player the Jays signed him to be, they’ll have an even more intimidating lineup.

Is Anthony Santander a starting outfielder for the Jays come Opening Day this season? It’s not an absolute guarantee, but if he has a strong spring training, he would certainly have a better chance of playing a big role in Toronto in 2026 and beyond.

The Blue Jays had a very successful 2025 season without much of a contribution from Santander, but the team could be much scarier with his help. He’s definitely the X-factor for the Jays this upcoming year, and he can transform their potential as a team.