Anthony Santander Not Likely to Sign With Seattle Mariners Rival, Houston Astros
Thus far, the Seattle Mariners have done next to nothing this offseason. They've acquired utility player Austin Shenton in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays but they haven't spent even $1 in major league free agency.
The teams around them in the American League West have been active though, with the Houston Astros trading away Kyle Tucker and bringing in Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes. They are also set to lose Alex Bregman. The Angels have brought in Jorge Soler, Kyle Hendricks, Scott Kingery, Travis d'Arnaud and Yusei Kikuchi while the A's have signed Gio Urshela and Luis Severino. The Rangers brought back Nathan Eovaldi, signed Joc Pederson and traded for Jake Burger.
While there's been plenty of movement around the Mariners, here's one rumor that doesn't look like it will happen: Anthony Santader to the Astros.
Santander has been linked to the Toronto Blue Jays, Angels and Astros, but Ari Alexander in Houston doesn't see the team spending at the level necessary to acquire Santander.
While Santander is also a fit with the Houston Astros, who could use a high-impact outfielder after trading away Kyle Tucker, a league source tells KPRC 2 that it is unlikely Santander will land in Houston. The switch-hitting outfielder is seeking the type of long-term deal that would put the Astros well into the competitive balance tax for the second consecutive season, something that is very unlikely to be palatable to the Astros.
The 30-year-old Santander is native of Venezuela and is coming off an incredible year for Baltimore where he hit .235 with 44 homers and brought in 102. A lifetime .246 hitter, he helped Baltimore get to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons (2023 and 2024)
The Astros won the American League West in 2024, chasing down the Mariners, who had a 10-game lead in June.
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