Santander on All-Star balloting: “Happy and excited and grateful for Orioles fans who voted for me"

Anthony Santander didn’t purposely begin tracking the All-Star Game balloting to see where he stood among outfielders in the American League. It’s just so hard to avoid.

“Social media right now, it’s all over the place,” he said yesterday with a smile. “And actually, the last update I said, ‘I don’t know if my mom is doing a really good job because, wow.’ I got a jump from 800,000 to a million-something. I got really surprised, like, ‘What’s going on?’”

What happened is Santander moved onto Phase 2 by finishing with the fourth-highest vote total at 1,478,034.

The top six recipients would have advanced except Aaron Judge received the most votes in the AL with 3,425,309 and the rules changed the cutoff to five. Colton Cowser, as bad luck would have it, placed sixth with 1,146,514. Cedric Mullins was seventh with 943,071.

Santander, the former Rule 5 pick who went from Class A to the majors, could become the first fan-elected Orioles outfielder since Adam Jones in 2014. But he isn’t devoting each game and each at-bat to the honor.

“Happy and excited and grateful for Orioles fans who voted for me. I really appreciated that,” said Santander, who went 1-for-4 with a single last night.

“It’s something that we don’t think about it. Like, ‘I need to do good to go to the All-Star Game.’ You just prepare yourself, work hard and try to make it happen, you know? You have to perform well first to be able to be selected. But it’s never like, ‘Oh, I have to do good to be able to go to the All-Star Game.’ If that’s God’s plan, I’m so happy and grateful to be able to go.”

Santander admits that he isn’t a dedicated viewer of the Midsummer Classic.

“The Home Run Derby, I watch it for sure, and then the All-Star Game I just watch the highlights,” he said, the grin returning to his face. “I don’t have time to sit down and watch all nine innings. But actually I enjoyed when Adley (Rutschman) went last year and I saw the Home Run Derby. That was awesome.”

Santander has hit 21 homers, including 12 this month, but teammate Gunnar Henderson is second in the majors with 26 and his participation seems assured.

“That will be special,” Santander said. “That kid can hit the ball far. I’m happy for him.”

The Orioles have six finalists and are expected to send multiple starters for the first time since Jones and Nelson Cruz in 2014.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal posted his All-Star picks yesterday and included Corbin Burnes as the American League’s starting pitcher. A nice honor, for sure, and Burnes is most deserving.

Here’s the problem: Burnes’ final start before the break is Sunday, July 14, if he’s pitching every fifth game. He wouldn’t be allowed to face the National League on one day of rest.

To make it work would require quite a bit of tweaking with the rotation – there could be a slight adjustment after he returns from the paternity list - and the Orioles are just happy to have five healthy starters. Plus, they’ve got bigger goals in mind.

Burnes could be selected anyway, giving him four in a row.

Rosenthal’s list also included Henderson, Rutschman and third baseman Jordan Westburg. Rutschman and Henderson would be starters. Westburg would be a fun choice in his first full major league season, with little hype surrounding him compared to some of his teammates.

Santander, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn were “notable omissions.”

O’Hearn might be the unlikeliest Phase 2 player after the Orioles got him from the Royals in a cash transaction on Jan. 3, 2023 and outrighted him off the 40-man roster a few days later. He’s one of their best hitters, beginning last night with a .294/.356/.490 line against right-handers. He was batting .320/.366/.493 this month in 22 games.

Santander can become a free agent after the season and he’s being paid $11.7 million. Assumptions are made that the Orioles will let him walk due to cost and the number of young outfielders caught in a logjam.

A middle-of-the-order power hitter from both sides of the plate who also can play first base – he took ground balls there this week - would be walking out that door. He’s gonna get paid.

Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and Kyle Stowers bat from the left side. You can add O’Hearn, who gets the occasional start in right or left, and Mullins, who ditched switch-hitting a few years ago.

Austin Hays hits from the right side but might not be back in 2025. Santander went into last night’s game slashing .267/.364/.547 against left-handers. Losing him likely intensifies the offseason hunt for a right-handed outfield bat to provide more balance.

The Orioles need pitching but they aren’t trading Santander. You don’t set out to win a World Series and suddenly punch a big hole in your lineup.

Today’s question: Do you attempt to sign Santander to an extension, give him a qualifying offer and perhaps get the draft pick, or move on and direct your funds elsewhere?