The largest domino of the MLB offseason fell Sunday night, as 26-year-old outfielder Juan Soto agreed to a record-breaking 15-year contract worth $765 million with the New York Mets.
The New York Yankees were among those teams who put in an aggressive offer for Soto—$760 million over 15 years, to be exact—as were the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. All three AL East rivals now are turning their attention to another power-hitting outfielder.
MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Monday that the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays have "strong interest" in former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander.
Anthony Santander has strong interest from the AL East clubs that fell short on Juan Soto:
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 9, 2024
Blue Jays
Red Sox
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Santander’s 44 HR this season are the 5th-most by a switch hitter, following Mickey Mantle (twice), Lance Berkman, and Chipper Jones. @MLBNetwork @MLB
Santander, who turned 30 in October, hit the open market this offseason after a career year in 2024. In 155 games for the Orioles, Santander batted .235/.308/.506 with a career-high 44 home runs and 102 RBIs. He has hit at least 28 homers in each of the last three years and offers flexibility in a lineup as a switch-hitting corner outfielder.
A reunion for Santander in Baltimore appears unlikely after the Orioles signed outfielder Tyler O'Neill to a three-year contract worth $49.5 million over the weekend.
One of the top bats remaining on the free-agent market alongside Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, Santander would make a lot of sense for all three AL East teams who appear to be trying to outspend each other this offseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yankees, Red Sox Turn Attention to Another Slugger After Losing Juan Soto Sweepstakes.
