Anthony Santander contract: MLB insiders offer deeper look at $92,500,000 Blue Jays deal

The Toronto Blue Jays have won the battle to sign All-Star slugger Anthony Santander for a five-year, $92.5 million deal on Monday. The Blue Jays have finally managed to land a superstar free agent after striking out multiple times over the past two off-seasons.

Santander is a switch-hitting outfielder who had spent his eight-year career with the Baltimore Orioles before signing with the Toronto Blue Jays this week. He joined free agency after posting the best season of his career, smashing 44 home runs and driving in 102 runs last year.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic stated on X (formerly Twitter) that Anthony Santander has signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract. He says there is a player opt-out after the third year, but the team can buy out that option if they extend the deal by another year, taking the full value to $110 million.

However, fellow MLB analyst Ari Alexander states that the opt-out comes at the end of the fourth year, and the deal also contains payment deferrals. He explained the details of the move through a video update on X.

"It's for at least $92.5 million [and] can go up to $110 million," Alexander said. "But the present value is going to be a little bit different because there are some deferrals. There is also a player opt-out after the fourth year, I'm told, that can be voided by the Blue Jays adding on a sixth year. So, player opt-out by the year 2028 can be voided by the Blue Jays picking up an option for 2030.

"But Santander will get at least 92.5 million," he continued. "There are deferrals with it and a five-year guarantee for Santander. The Blue Jays landing a big player. They've been going after a lot of big-name guys. They finally land a big one."

Last season, Santander hit the most home runs by a switch hitter in the MLB since 2006.

Over $35 million deferred on Blue Jays deal with Anthony Santander

Anthony Santander earned his first All-Star selection in 2024 (Image Source: Imagn)

MLB insider Ari Alexander later posted another update on X a few hours later, sharing some details regarding the payment deferrals on the contract between the Toronto Blue Jays and Anthony Santander.

"Anthony Santander’s contract has more than $35 million deferred, which can go past $50 million depending on how the contract plays out," he tweeted.

Santander has batted .249/.322/.464 with 61 home runs and an OPS+ of 120 over the previous three seasons.