MLB veteran slugger Carlos Santana has reportedly attracted interest from three teams this winter's offseason as he explores the market as a free agent. The 37-year-old veteran first baseman spent fourteen years in the major leagues, playing for six different teams during that time. Now, as an experienced free agent, he is on the radar of three of his former teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Seattle Mariners.
Santana was originally signed by the LA Dodgers as an international free agent back in 2005. However, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2008 and went on to make his major league debut for them in 2010. After that, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies for a year before returning to the Cleveland side for a second spell. He then went on to play for the Royals, the Mariners, the Pirates and the Brewers.
In 2023, Santana split the season between the Pirates and the Brewers after being traded by the Pittsburgh side. Now, both his former teams, along with another former team in the Mariners, are looking to sign him ahead of the next MLB season. All three teams are already familiar with him and have reportedly shown interest despite a disappointing season in 2023, which yielded a .192/.293/.400 line across 294 plate appearances.
Brewers most likely to land Carlos Santana amidst competition
While three MLB teams have shown interest in signing veteran free agent Carlos Santana, the Milwaukee Brewers are considered favorites to land him this winter.
This is because that is the most straightforward move as compared to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Seattle Mariners. The Brewers don't have an obvious choice for first base as of yet, despite acquiring Jake Bauers from the New York Yankees and tendering him to an arbitration contract.
The Mariners and the Pirates are both well-equipped at first base, and Santana would only be considered a backup in each case. However, it remains to be seen if a surprise lies in store for fans regarding this move.