Royals Called 'Best Fit' To Lure $97 Million All-Star Away From Orioles
The Kansas City Royals did well to make it to the American League Division Series, but the New York Yankees simply outclassed them.
The Royals had Bobby Witt Jr., who was mired in a slump, and not much else. Meanwhile, the Yankees had Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton (the series hero), and Royals antagonist Jazz Chisholm Jr. The star power was too far tilted in New York's direction.
The Royals have the tools to fight back in 2025, but it will require adding more star power of their own. And who better to add than the man who finished second behind Judge for the American League lead in home runs this past season?
Baltimore Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander is getting set to hit the market and is sure to have plenty of interested suitors. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report called Kansas City the "best fit" for Santander in a Friday free agency preview.
"The Kansas City offense was sorely lacking in consistent production outside of Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino this year, and finding another middle-of-the-order slugger to alleviate some of the run-production load carried by that trio could go a long way," Reuter said.
"Something similar to the four-year, $79 million deal Schwarber signed when he joined the Phillies might be a reasonable expectation for Santander's asking price, and that would be money well spent for a Royals team trending up."
With 44 home runs, Santander blew past his previous career-high by 11 longballs in 2024. He also put up a stout .814 OPS, while hitting almost equally well from both sides of the plate. Leaving Baltimore's cavernous left field would likely do wonders for his splits as a righty hitter in particular.
Where Santander's value actually falls could make a difference in whether or not he ends up in Kansas City. His Spotrac market value projection as of now is $97 million, which would price the Royals out based on their pre-2024 spending habits.
Santander could be the missing piece that takes the Royals lineup over the top next season. But only time will tell if Kansas City can lure him to the AL Central.
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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