Blue Jays can't afford to forget about Anthony Santander as they try to rebound from down season

When the Toronto Blue Jays missed out on Kyle Tucker in free agency -- a turn of events that actually seems to be playing out in their favor -- I wrote that Anthony Santander would have to take up a star-sized mantle in the middle of the lineup in order to keep the offense afloat sans Bo Bichette. Sure, he played poorly in 2025 and dealt with a myriad of injuries, but a $92.5 million investment in a 40-homer bat would surely pay off sooner rather than later, right?

So much for that idea. After debuting in Toronto with arguably the worst season of his career (his 61 wRC+ was his lowest since 2018, and his -0.9 fWAR was his worst mark ever), Santander proceeded to miss the entire 2026 season with a torn left shoulder labrum. He did begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo in September, but he only played five games while dealing with yet another setback (lower back tightness).

At this point, there's no telling what to expect from the veteran outfielder. He's going to turn 32 this month and has seen all of 221 MLB plate appearance since signing with the Blue Jays. His contract might just wind up being an old-fashioned bust.

If the Blue Jays are going to compete in 2027, however, he'll need to shed that label next season.

Anthony Santander is weighing down the payroll, so the Blue Jays need him to start earning his keep

I know it seems foolish to count on Santander for anything, but he's slated to earn a $21 million salary next year. With a lockout on the horizon, the Blue Jays won't have a chance to offload his deal, even if they wanted to. He'll have to produce commensurate with that pay to help the team get the most out of their expensive roster.

Remember, from 2020-24, he posted a 118 wRC+ or higher in four out of five campaigns, and he hit at least 28 home runs in each of the latter three seasons in that sample. For reference, among Blue Jays player with at least 300 plate appearances this year, the team leader in home runs (Kazuma Okamoto) hit 33, and the team leader in wRC+ (Alejandro Kirk) posted a 114 mark.

Santander is not that far removed from that stretch, though injuries to his shoulders and back have probably sapped him off some of his power. Even then, a slightly-above-league-average hitter would have gone a long way in the Jays' lineup this year. With George Springer set to hit free agency this winter, there's going to be an opening for him at the designated hitter spot.

Relying on an aging, injured veteran to play high-quality baseball after two years of (mostly) inaction is hardly an enviable strategy, but Santander got his contract from Toronto for a reason. Now, he has to earn it.

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