Another AL East Rival Viewed As Suitor for Baltimore Orioles All-Star

The Baltimore Orioles won't want to lose their home run hitter to another team in the American League East.

Sep 20, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25) swings through a first inning two run home run against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Free agency could be the start of a very long 12 months for the Baltimore Orioles.

There are areas they need to improve, and with the possibility of losing some of their top players, there's no telling how bad things could get for the Orioles.

That doesn't take away from the young talent they have, but if Baltimore were to lose a guy like Anthony Santander and didn't replace him, things will look different in 2025. Perhaps a prospect could come up and replace his production, but there will be question marks about that being possible.

Santander returning to the Orioles isn't out of the picture until he decides his free agency decision, however, the expectation around the industry is for him to be on a different team next year.

The switch-hitter essentially priced himself out of Baltimore, hitting 44 home runs in a career campaign with them understanding he's likely looking for at least $100 million.

There's a scenario where a team might not be willing to give him a long-term deal due to his defensive struggles, but what he did this past season can't go unnoticed.

Despite how poor of a defender he's been, his offensive numbers speak for themselves, and given how the game is played in this era, that's often all a player needs to get paid.

Santander will certainly get handed a lucrative contract, but it remains uncertain what team would be wiling to pay him or how much it will be.

Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports looked at potential suitors, naming the Toronto Blue Jays as an option for his services.

"Here are the hitters with more homers than Santander over the past three seasons: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, Matt Olson. That's it. It'll be interesting to see how similar the market is for Hernández and Santander, a fellow All-Star corner outfielder coming off a career-high 44-homer season. While Santander won't provide much with his glove or his legs, he supplies a rare amount of power for someone who doesn't strike out a ton."

As Kavner outlined, Santander has done nothing but swing the bat at a high level in recent showings. Whenever a player's name is mentioned with some of those hitters, it's clear they're as good as it gets.

For Santander, he might believe this is the best time in his career to get paid, which will only hurt Baltimore's chances of keeping him around.