Many analysts and fans believe that in the case that the Cleveland Guardians decide to be sellers at the deadline, they would be more than open to the possibility of trading first baseman Carlos Santana.
He is on a one-year deal, holding his own offensively and thriving with the glove, potentially generating some trade value even at 39 years old.
At least the numbers say he has been decent with the bat.
However, a closer look paints a worrisome outlook of his offense.
Carlos Santana this year excluding the month of May
BA: .198
OBP: .275
SLG: .285
WRC+: 59I think he might be way closer to DFA candidate than trade candidate.
— Matt Dallas (Kahlil Watson Truther) (@MattDallas27) July 24, 2025
The truth is that, outside of a torrid May in which he had a 182 wRC+, he has been below-average in every month.
He put up a 69 wRC+ in March/April, a 38 mark in June, and is at 69 in July.
Yes, Santana has been a reliable defensive player and a valued leader in the clubhouse.
However, it’s unclear if another team will run to take him away from the Guardians at this point.
For the season as a whole, his wRC+ is at 91 after taking one plate appearance on Thursday’s finale against the Baltimore Orioles.
He is slashing a modest .225/.319/.345 with 11 home runs.
Teams aren’t exactly lining up for a first baseman with a .345 slugging percentage, no matter how good he is defensively.
Cleveland would be more than happy to unload his salary should a team come calling before the deadline, but the chances of that happening are decreasing with each passing day.
Santana is just not who he used to be, which is completely understandable because Father Time remains undefeated.
Still, the situation could affect their deadline plans.
NEXT: Analyst Says Trading 1 Guardians Veteran Is A 'Bad Idea'
