Orioles All-Star Predicted To Ditch Baltimore For $90 Million Deal With Royals
The Kansas City Royals have some excellent building blocks. Now, they need to start construction on a World Series run.
In 2024, the Royals stunned the rest of baseball with a 30-win improvement and surprise playoff berth. But the entire league now knows the Royals are a force to be reckoned with, and beyond superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., there aren't too many fearsome bats in the Kansas City order.
Putting another formidable bat behind Witt in the order could be the key to the Royals ascending to the top of the American League. And they may be able to find one from the roster of the team they defeated in the postseason.
Baltimore Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander is hitting free agency after a career year, making his first All-Star team at age 30. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Royals would ink Santander to a five-year, $90 million contract this winter.
"Santander definitely upped the ante in 2024... and he might sniff a nine-figure deal after that fantastic walk year, similar to Nick Castellanos getting a five-year, $100 million contract three years ago," Miller said.
"Kansas City makes a lot of sense and may have already made it clear to Santander that he is its No. 1 priority. That could pay dividends for the Royals, whose entire OF/DH situation this past season was astoundingly bad for an 86-win playoff team."
Not only was Santander a first-time All-Star this season, but he recently won his first career Silver Slugger after a 44-home run performance. He trailed only Aaron Judge in homers by American League hitters, and he put up a sterling .506 slugging percentage and .814 OPS.
The Royals could do a lot worse than a switch-hitter with 40-homer pop, especially if they can also find a new leadoff hitter to help balance out Santader's relatively low on-base percentage. And though he's not the world's best defender (to put it lightly), he more than makes up for it with his bat.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org