The Cleveland Guardians’ offense doesn’t have much to offer fans these days except for Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and a 39-year-old first baseman doing his best to stay relevant.
He is actually succeeding in that quest, offering the team close to league-average offense (95 wRC+) and excellent defense at the cold corner.
That first baseman is none other than Carlos Santana, the steady veteran who has spent 10 of his 16 MLB campaigns with the Guardians.
Between 2013 and 2015, Santana played with Nick Swisher, a successful outfielder, in Cleveland, so the two know each other.
Speaking on the Carlos Baerga Show, Swisher highly praised his former teammate and noted one of his most underrated traits: the ability to stay healthy and rarely miss a game.
“What a career for him. He’s the epitome of the best ability is availability,” Swisher said on the show.
Carlos Santana has put up an incredible career. #GuardsBall
"What a career for him. He's the epitome of the best ability is availability."
presented by @bathroomsusa https://t.co/5jUhBHZqtU pic.twitter.com/tSRPiVqHKA
— Carlos Baerga Show (@BaergaShow) July 11, 2025
In an era dominated by load management, platoons, and other measures to maximize production and promote rest and freshness, Santana has stood out because of his perennial availability.
He is always healthy and always prepared to take the field.
His career stats page is full of campaigns with at least 150 games or more, and he has taken the field in 85 of the Guardians’ 91 games this season so far.
If Cleveland loses too many games in the upcoming weeks, there is a chance Santana will be flipped to another team for a prospect or two.
It would be a real shame, though, since he is still contributing at a high level and fans love his commitment to winning.
NEXT: Guardians Infielder Looks Like A Different Player After Recent Call-Up
