An appreciation for Anthony Santander and updating the O's 2025 draft selections

Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, not only leaving the Orioles' division, but their league too. Corbin Burnes signed with Arizona and Roki Sasaki is a Los Angeles Dodger.

But the O’s on Monday saw one of their own sign with another club and also stay in the American League East when outfielder Anthony Santander agreed to a five-year deal worth $92.5 million with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Jays didn’t sign but tried to get Shohei Ohtani, Sasaki, Soto, Burnes and Max Fried. But they finally did get one, with Santander coming off a 44-homer season that ranked third-best in the majors.

He also drove in 102 runs last year – the first Oriole with 100 or more since Jonathan Schoop with 105 in 2017 – and produced an OPS of .814 and OPS+ of 134. Santander, who turned 30 in October, finished 2024 ninth in the AL in RBIs, 11^th in slugging and 13^th in OPS.

And his payday came Monday. I guess all that talk of his on-base percentage and defense didn’t keep him from getting some big dollars.

Santander’s total dollars in his deal put him third among position players this winter via free agency, behind Soto at $765 million with the Mets and Willy Adames at $182 million with the San Francisco Giants.

I speculated in this space when Houston signed Christian Walker for three years and $60 million and Teoscar Hernández went back to the Dodgers for three and $66 million that Santander might get a deal in that range. While in average annual value both players exceeded him, he got more total dollars in the end.

At the beginning of free agency, ESPN predicted Santander would get a deal for three years at $69 million, MLBTradeRumors.com guessed four years and $80 million, FanGraphs.com supposed five years for $100 million, and The Athletic handicapped the deal at five years and $105 million.

Santander’s deal, per various reports, includes significant deferred money, bringing down the present-day value. But he also has an opt-out after the third year that the Blue Jays could override by giving him a sixth year for 2030 on this deal.

Tony Taters did OK and I think many in Birdland will be happy for him and give him a huge ovation when he returns to Camden Yards with his new team on April 11.

Not bad for a player who was once a Rule 5 draft pick, one who, due to injury, needed parts of two seasons to satisfy the Rule 5 requirements. 

Fans have come to know this is a really good guy who was great in the O’s clubhouse and liked by just about everyone on the team and staff. A media favorite too, who always had time for us and worked hard to improve his English and did. Just an easy guy to root for.

About those draft picks: Santander’s departure should now mean the Orioles wind up with three of the first 30 to 35 picks in the 2025 MLB Draft, and six of the first 94.

As of today, the O’s hold the No. 19 pick in round one. Round one is expected to be only 27 selections next July as the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers got 10-pick penalties for luxury tax reasons. Kansas City got the No. 28 overall pick as a prospect-promotion-incentive selection when Bobby Witt Jr. finished second for MVP.

Via free agency, teams that have their players turn down qualifying offers and then see those players sign elsewhere get compensation picks. The picks are highest if your team gets revenue-sharing (the Orioles do) and the players sign for $50 million or more, as Corbin Burnes and Santander have.

Arizona currently has pick No. 29 for Walker leaving. The O’s are at No. 30 for Burnes and Milwaukee is at No. 31 for Adames. Because the O’s had a lesser record than Milwaukee's last year (93 to 91 wins), it could be that the O’s now get No. 31 and Milwaukee gets pushed to No. 32.

The O’s also have pick No. 59 in Round two, No. 71 in Competitive Balance Round B and No. 94 in round three.

So that would be picks 19, 30, 31, 59, 71 and 94.

This would be the first time since he came to Baltimore that Mike Elias and his staff would have three picks in the first 35 and six in the top 100.

Here is where they picked previously in the top 100:

2019: 1, 42, 71, 79

2020: 2, 30, 39, 74

2021: 5, 41, 65, 76

2022: 1, 33, 42, 67, 81

2023: 17, 53, 63, 86

2024: 22, 32, 61, 97

It could also be meaningful in the additional draft pool dollars that higher picks would provide to the O’s overall 2025 draft pool. In 2024, the slot amount for pick No. 19 was $4.22 million, for No. 30 it was $2.97 million and for No. 31 it was $2.90 million.

And it’s also worth noting, now that they have three picks in the top 35 next summer, they selected Jordan Westburg No. 30 overall and Gunnar Henderson at No. 42.

Click here via X for a look at the O's Santander goodbye tribute.