Free-agent first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, who is 38 years old, said he wants to play another three or four seasons in the big leagues, according to his agent, Ulises Cabrera. The veteran Dominican switch-hitter won his first career Gold Glove at first base with the Minnesota Twins in 2024 and is coming off his best OPS (.749) since 2019 with the Cleveland Guardians. In addition to his .749 OPS, he hit .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs, 71 RBI, four stolen bases and 63 runs scored in 594 trips to the plate and 150 games for Minnesota in 2024 in his 15th major-league season. Santana has had a long and successful career as a patient hitter, with high on-base percentages being his calling card in fantasy. He's had a little resurgence the last two years, but fantasy managers can't count on that moving forward, and there's almost zero upside.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana (illness) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran switch-hitter sat out of Sunday's game due to a minor illness. Santana will cover first base and bat leadoff against left-hander Reid Detmers on Monday. The Twins have been having Santana bat leadoff against lefty starters lately, so we'll see if that ends up being a long term solution. The 38-year-old hasn't been great with the bat, but his 20 home runs gives him some fantasy value.
Carlos Santana Launches Go-Ahead Home Run On Saturday
Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-2 with a home run and two walks on Saturday afternoon to power the Twins to a victory. Santana broke a stalemate in the sixth inning with a solo shot which evened up being the game-winning run. This round-tripper snapped an 18-game power outage. The 38-year-old has been struggling at the plate through July as he entered this game with a poor .133/.235/.200 line and just two extra-base hits. However, in June, the switch-hitter held a stellar .337/.396/.565 line. Santana should continue to see an everyday role at first base in the Twins lineup, with occasional starts at DH. He remains a solid corner infield option in deeper AL-only leagues and is worth a look in favorable matchups in DFS.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana is taking the day off on Monday for the series opener against the hosting Chicago White Sox. Jose Miranda will take over at first base and bat cleanup, while rookie Brooks Lee will start at third and bat seventh against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen. The 38-year-old veteran switch-hitter has been solid but not spectacular as Minnesota's regular first baseman this year, hitting .247 (72-for-291) with 12 homers, 40 RBI and an above-average .752 OPS. He'll make way for one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the early portion of July. Since June 26, Miranda has gone 22-for-38 (.579) with a homer, six doubles, 13 RBI, a steal and 11 runs scored in only 11 games. Meanwhile, Lee, one of the club's top prospects, looks like a seasoned vet with a .474 average (9-for-19) with a homer and six RBI in his first five big-league games.
Carlos Santana Hits Pinch-Hit Homer Against Rockies
Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana was 2-for-2 with a two-run home run after entering Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. The veteran slugger has been out of the starting lineup a few times over the past couple weeks. Santana endured a pretty underwhelming start to the season, but he is hitting .308 with two homers and six RBI over his past seven games. His season slash line still sits at an unsightly .221/.302/.404 to go along with 10 homers and 29 RBI. The 38-year-old can provide the occasional spark in the power department, but it seems like Santana's best fantasy days are behind him.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's victory against the Toronto Blue Jays. The homer would be the seventh of the season for the veteran. Santana has shown up with power this season as he also has 21 RBI. The issue for Santana has been that he is only hitting .212, but he has been hitting the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 90.7 MPH. Managers in deeper leagues should consider Santana if power is needed, but with the expectation that he will sink managers batting average along the way.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored in Saturday's 16-5 win over the Angels. The veteran was also hit by a pitch in the contest. The 38-year-old is experiencing a power surge of late, with all three of Santana's home runs coming in the last three games. The former All-Star hit 24 home runs last season, so the pop is certainly still there, but even after the recent resurgence, he's still slashing a paltry .181/.269/.325 on the year and is probably best left on the waiver wire.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana is out of the lineup on Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles. Santana is off to a slow start this season as he's slashing . 135/.224/.154 in 14 games with zero home runs and just two RBIs. In replace of Santana, Minnesota will be starting Alex Kirilloff at first base, who is batting third against Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez.
Free-agent first baseman Carlos Santana has agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins worth roughly $5.25 million, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The veteran split 2023 with the Pirates and Brewers, slashing .240/.318/.429 while slugging 23 homers. He maintained respectable levels of discipline at the plate with his 10.5 walk rate and 16.8 strikeout rate. Even if Santana's declining defensive value limits him to designated hitter for most of 2024, he remains a strong contributor at the plate and should see significant playing time in Minnesota.
The Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners are showing interest in free-agent first baseman Carlos Santana. Santana played with the Pirates and Brewers this past season, hitting a combined .240/.318/.429 with 23 home runs, 33 doubles, a triple, 86 RBI, six stolen bases and 78 runs scored in 146 total games. The 37-year-old veteran Dominican switch-hitter played for Seattle in 2022. Santana was no slouch offensively last year for the Pirates and Brew Crew, but fantasy managers should be ecstatic if he's able to duplicate those numbers in 2024. Santana has been durable and will continue to draw his fair share of walks, but there's limited offensive upside as he nears the end of his career. His best bet for regular playing time will be with the rebuilding Pirates.
