The Cleveland Guardians seem ready to move on from Carlos Santana.
The veteran first baseman hasn’t been much of a factor this season.
With the team in desperate need of some momentum, plus C.J. Kayfus and Kyle Mazardo performing better than Santana, it’s hard to justify keeping the 39-year-old in the lineup.
With that in mind, manager Stephen Vogt opened up on Santana’s situation, showering him with praise but acknowledging that he’s not going to play much down the stretch.
“I talk to Los (Santana) every day. When you have 15 years in the big leagues, you’ve earned the right to know what’s going on and how we’re thinking. Right now, we want to give the opportunities to C.J. and ‘Manzo’ to play a little bit more and get them in the field,” Vogt said. “Carlos is still the best defensive first baseman in baseball. He’s still going to get opportunities, especially against lefties, while being limited against righties, but that doesn’t mean that can’t change. It’s never fun to hear your role is being reduced, but he’s handled it tremendously, as everyone felt he would.”
Manzardo has been on a roll for a couple of weeks, and he has done enough to get more playing time.
As for Kayfus, he looks like one of the future faces of this organization, so it’s only right that he gets as much playing time as he can handle right now.
Santana is, by all means, a Guardians legend.
He’s a fan favorite, and he should go down as one of the best and most beloved players in franchise history.
Even so, sports are ruthless, and the team needs to do what’s best for everyone.
On top of that, Santana is about to become a free agent, and if he doesn’t want to retire, the Guardians are unlikely to re-sign him, unless it’s for depth only.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Sends Strong Message About Guardians' Season
