The Diamondbacks and the first free agent Carlos Santana they agree on a deal, according to various sources. It is reportedly a one-year, $2MM deal. The Snakes have a full 40-man roster and will have to make a corresponding move once Santana clears his physical and the deal is official.
Santana, who turns 40 in April, made his major league debut in 2010. Although he has never been an elite player, he has served as a reliably strong contributor for a long time. He’s had solid hitting and walk numbers while flashing some pop with solid first-inning defense. In over 9,000 career plate appearances, he has a 14.4% walk rate, a 16.6% strikeout rate, a .241/.352/.425 line and a 114 wRC+. In nearly 13,000 innings at first, he has compiled 48 Defensive Runs Saved and 45 Outs Above Average.
As one would expect, his production has slowed as he nears his 40th birthday. He still gets rave reviews for his glovework but his offense hasn’t been as strong in recent seasons. Since the start of 2020, he has a combined slash line of .222/.321/.378 and a 96 wRC+. With the Guardians and Cubs in 2025, his 11% walk rate and 19.2% strikeout rate were still good numbers but down from his career levels. He slashed .219/.308/.325 on the year with an 82 wRC+.
Aside from trend lines and a bad 2025 season, there are some reasons why Santana might be a good fit for Arizona’s roster. A hitter, he has always been more successful against left-handed hitters. In 2025, he wasn’t great against pitchers of any other hand, with a .231/.318/.346 line and an 89 wRC+ against southpaws. But as recently as 2024, he managed to put up a great .286/.356/.578 line and a 160 wRC+ in that division.
The Diamondbacks had it Josh Naylor as their first baseman starting 2025 but they traded him to the Mariners at the deadline. Coming to this time of year, they had it Pavin Smith again Tyler Locklear at the top of the depth chart, but with question marks there.
Locklear, who came from the Mariners in Eugenio Suarez trade last summer, he has yet to find success compared to big league play. He might not even be ready for Opening Day this year. In a September game against the Red Sox, he was trying to throw an error to third baseman Jordan Lawler when he makes contact with the batter Connor Wong. He tore his elbow and labrum in his shoulder and needed surgery in October.
As for Smith, he has shown flashes of power at times but with difficult platoon separation. A left-handed hitter, he hit .270/.348/.547 with a 140 wRC+ in 2024 but with most of that damage coming against righties. Last year, he had another major breakout and faded as the season wore on, suffering an injury in the second half. For the year, he hit .265/.361/.456 against righties but just .167/.375/.167 against lefties. He had a combined .261/.371/.446 line in the first half and a .227/.261/.318 line in the second half. He spent time on the injured list with an oblique strain and a quad strain and played in just 87 games on the year.
Locklear hits from the right side, so a team with Smith could be a good setup at first. But Locklear is completely unproven and has an uncertain medical condition. Smith appears to be a good player against good ones but without a long track record of success. His first defense did not receive strong marks.
The Diamondbacks don’t have a solid hitter designated for 2025, with various players circling that spot. It’s possible they could rotate Locklear, Smith and Santana based on various situations throughout the season. Santana provides a tougher glove than Smith and better numbers compared to the rest of the pitchers. Locklear still has an option and could be sent to Triple-A but could benefit from more playing time, with the DH spot allowing the club to spread some at-bats around.
There is also a financial component. Owner Ken Kendrick said in September that payroll would be pushed back to 2025. General manager Mike Hazen has tried to downplay the staff’s concerns but recently indicated that a light bullpen signing would close the door on a reunion. Merrill Kelly.
With an uncertain starting position and little money to spend, the Snakes were linked to right-handed hitters who wouldn’t command high salaries. That included Santana too France and an old friend Paul Goldschmidt. While a reunion with Goldy would be fun, Santana’s deal seems to make it very unlikely, if not entirely impossible.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported that the parties were close to an agreement. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that an agreement was in place. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported it will be a one-year deal. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reported the $2MM figure. Photos courtesy of David Richard, Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
