"Look, there's no sugar coating that the first year of his five-year, $92 million deal was a bad one. A notorious slow starter, the switch hitting outfielder slashed .175/.271/.294 with six home runs in 221 plate appearances for a 61 wRC+ and -0.9 fWAR. He wasn't any better in the postseason, registering three singles in 16 plate appearances before being removed from the Jays' American League Championship roster due to an injury."
"It's a far cry from what he offered in 2024, and it sure looks like that contract will blow up in the Jays' face, at least on a surface level. That said, there are a handful of reasons to be optimistic about Santander's 2026 season. Injury, a slow start, and regression to the mean I've already mentioned how Santander is a notoriously slow starter. The best season of his career was in 2024, where he slashed .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs in 665 plate appearances."
The Blue Jays added pitching depth by signing Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers, and signed Kazuma Okamoto to play third base, first base, and some outfield. The club still needs another impactful bat; Bo Bichette remains a free agent with lingering interest, and Kyle Tucker represents the best available fit. Adding multiple top players would be historically strong but likely requires moving salary. José Berríos has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate. Anthony Santander posted a poor first year of his five-year, $92 million deal but has factors—injury, slow starts, and prior 2024 power production—that suggest a possible rebound in 2026.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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