Baltimore Orioles Insider Outlines Anthony Santander Contingency Plan

If Anthony Santander leaves the Baltimore Orioles, one insider reports they may already have a player in mind to replace him.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) celebrates after hitting a single during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles could have a few more items added to their to-do list this offseason depending on how the market shakes out for their high-profile players hitting free agency.

Ace Corbin Burnes is primed to cash in on a massive contract. Teams are looking for rotation anchors and he has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball the last few years.

He has been linked to several teams and if he departs, the Orioles will have a gigantic hole to fill. Pitching, both in the rotation and out of the bullpen, was already a huge need. Losing Burnes would just be salt in the wound.

In their lineup, All-Star right fielder Anthony Santander will be testing the market.

He picked a great time to earn that accolade for the first time in his career, hitting 44 home runs with 102 RBI. Both statistics were single-season bests, as he has provided Baltimore with plenty of value since joining the team as the final pick of the Rule 5 Draft in 2016 from Cleveland.

The switch-hitter has been a consistent power threat for the Orioles, with a 162-game average of 34 home runs. While the team has plenty of hitting depth in the organization, losing a player of that caliber is never an easy thing to overcome.

Given how many teams are seeking power upgrades to their lineup, Santander will be a popular target in free agency. Some projections have him landing a contract worth $20 million annually with a chance to push into nine figures in total.

If things get too rich for Baltimore’s liking and their starting right fielder departs, they already are already working in place to replace him.

As shared by Roch Kubatko of MASN, Teoscar Hernandez is someone to keep an eye on as Santander’s replacement.

“I’ve seen the Orioles linked to him if they don’t re-sign Anthony Santander. They’ll track the market for him,” Kubatko said when answering mailbag questions.

Coming off a World Series championship with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hernandez would check a lot of boxes for the Orioles. 

Even if Santander does come back, one of their needs was a power-hitting, right-handed batter. He certainly fits that bill, as he hit a career-high 33 home runs in 2024 after signing a one-year deal last offseason.

For his career, Hernandez has a 162-game average of 32, he isn’t all-or-nothing like some other power hitters. He hit .272 with a .339 on-base percentage this past year, adding 32 doubles and two triples while knocking in 99 runs and stealing 12 bases, which tied his career high.

Contract projection numbers for the Dodgers star are pretty similar to those of Santander. He is likely going to be in the $20-23 million per year range, but all of his projections are shorter contracts as he is two years older than Santander.