KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals were closing in on a deal Tuesday with free-agent slugging first baseman Carlos Santana, a source familiar with the negotiations told The Kansas City Star.
The deal has not been finalized, but Santana will be slated to make $17.5 million on the two-year contract plus up to an additional $1 million in performance bonuses, according to another source with knowledge of the pending deal.
The switch-hitting Santana, who'll turn 35 next season, hit a career-high 34 home runs for the Indians in 2019, batting .281 with a .397 on-base and .515 slugging percentage. He only hit .199 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but hit eight home runs in 60 games, walked 47 times against 43 strikeouts, and put up a .349 on-base percentage.
He led the majors with 113 walks in 2014 and has a career slash line of .248/.366/.446 with 240 home runs in 11 big league seasons.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore said earlier this offseason that he intended to add a "middle-of-the-order" type of hitter to bolster the lineup.
Last week following the signing of center fielder Michael A. Taylor, Moore said, "We're not done with trying to add to our lineup with more guys that can get on base and give us a professional at-bat."
With the addition of Santana and the club having non-tendered third baseman Maikel Franco last week, it appears that infielder/outfielder Hunter Dozier will likely move back to third base and clear the way for Santana to be the club's everyday first baseman.
