Blue Jays reportedly reach 5-year deal with slugger Santander, pending physical

After missing out on many of their top free-agent targets in recent weeks, the Toronto Blue Jays have finally made a splash by landing slugger Anthony Santander.

The two sides have agreed to terms on a contract and a physical has been completed, a team source confirmed Monday.

The Blue Jays have yet to confirm the deal, but ESPN and MLB.com reported it's a five-year contract worth over $90 million US.

The addition of Santander, who hit 44 home runs and drove in 102 runs last season for the Baltimore Orioles, should provide some much-needed power in the heart of the Toronto batting order.

A 30-year-old switch-hitter, Santander has spent his entire eight-year big-league career with the Orioles. He had a breakout campaign in 2022 and made the all-star team last season.

The Venezuelan has averaged 35 homers, 95 RBIs and 153 games played over the last three years. Santander will likely serve primarily as a designated hitter with Toronto with occasional spells as a backup outfielder.

The move provides some much-needed protection in the batting order for slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was one of the few offensive bright spots for Toronto last year.

Santander has a career batting average of .246 with a .469 slugging percentage and .776 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

The Blue Jays' offence never really got on track in 2024 and the team was a seller at the trade deadline. Toronto ended up finishing last in the American League East with a 74-88 record.

This is a critical off-season for the Blue Jays, who reached the wild-card round in three of four years before last season's disappointment.

The Blue Jays did acquire second baseman Andres Gimenez last month and have added relievers Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman via free agency to