BALTIMORE – During his eight years with Baltimore, Anthony Santander played under two regimes, endured a painful rebuild and saw the ballclub sold.
Throughout it all, Santander became one of baseball’s best power hitters, made an All-Star Game and earned the lucrative contract he received Monday.
Santander, a fan-favorite, has officially played his final game in an Orioles uniform.
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed the switch-hitting slugger to a five-year, $92.5 million contract with a club option for the 2030 season that can increase the total guarantee to $110 million, his agency Beverly Hills Sports Council announced on social media.
Santander, who joined Baltimore as a Rule 5 draft pick in 2016, blasted a career-high 44 homers in 2024 – perfect timing for the 30-year-old switch hitter ahead of hitting the free agent market for the first time this offseason.
After overcoming a series of injuries that plagued him early in his career, Santander averaged 35 home runs per year over the past three seasons to emerge as a potent middle-of-the-order hitter for a young ballclub bursting out of a long-term rebuild.
He finishes his Baltimore tenure ranked 13th in Orioles history in home runs (155), 15th in slugging percentage (.469), and 22nd in RBIs (435) and total bases (1,327).
Since he made his MLB debut in 2017, no Orioles player appeared in more games, hit more homers, collected more doubles or drove in more RBIs than Santander.
He also grew into a veteran leader in their clubhouse and earned a reputation for bringing a magnetic personality to the field. Santander’s departure created a hole in the Orioles’ outfield, which they filled earlier this offseason by signing Tyler O’Neill for $49.5 million over three years with a player option after 2025.
Recently graduated top prospect Heston Kjerstad is expected to factor into their plans as well alongside reigning American League Rookie of the Year Award runner-up Colton Cowser and defensive stalwart Cedric Mullins in the outfield.
With Santander signing for at least $50 million, the Orioles will receive a compensation pick between the first and second rounds of this year’s MLB draft – just as they will for right-hander Corbin Burnes signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The selections will fall in the early 30s. It took nearly the entire offseason for Santander, one of the top sluggers available in free agency, to land his new deal.
While the starting pitching market moved quickly, Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets was the only contract for at least $50 million signed by an outfielder until Teoscar Hernández re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $66 million on Jan. 3.
The Blue Jays, who had reportedly fallen short in their pursuits for several high-end free agents this winter including Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki over the weekend, finally landed the star they had been seeking with a significant investment in Santander.
Toronto missed the playoffs for first the first time in three years last season and has reached a pivotal point in its competitive window with stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette set to hit free agency next winter.
Santander won’t have to wait long to face his former team.
The Orioles open the 2025 season with a three-game series in Toronto that begins March 26. His return to Baltimore is scheduled for July 28 when the Blue Jays travel to Baltimore.
