Padres Were Interested in All-Star Free Agent First Baseman Before He Signed

Maren Angus-Coombs | 14 Hours Ago

Aug 12, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins first base Carlos Santana (30) throws to first base against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

First baseman Carlos Santana was on the San Diego Padres' radar this offseason. He was also drawing interest from both New York teams, Seattle, Detroit, Texas, and Arizona, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The Padres had asked him to wait before signing with anyone. But on Friday, Santana got a call that he couldn't ignore.

Thinking he would never play in Cleveland again, Santana decided it was time to put his home in Bratenahl, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, on the market. He bought the house back in 2012 after he signed his first multi-year deal with the then-Indians.

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Santana called a real estate agent on Monday to put it on the market. He signed papers for the sale on Thursday and then got a call from the Guardians on Friday. On Saturday morning, he flew to Cleveland to retrieve a few belongings from the house and then signed a one-year, $12 million contract.

The 2025 season marks Santana’s 16th year in the majors. He’s coming off a strong season with the Minnesota Twins, posting a .749 OPS — the best since 2019 — and earning his first Gold Glove. His $12 million salary will be more than double the $5.25 million he made last year. The deal also features an additional $1 million in potential incentives.

The Padres are still searching for ways to cut payroll and add talent. There is talk that Luis Arraez could be traded as he enters the final year of his contract, or Jake Cronenworth could be part of a trade package which opens up the first base position.

Santana would have been a nice fit. However, once Cleveland called, no other teams stood a chance.

“I’m so happy coming back,” Santana said. “Cleveland has my respect. The fan base is one of the best. The coaching staff, they know me. Sandy Alomar, I’ve known him for a long time. I know (top executives) Chris (Antonetti) and Mike Chernoff. I know the owner, (Paul) Dolan. I have very good relationships with everyone in the office, in the organization. They love me, and I love it. I’m very excited.”

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