The Indians are reportedly picking up Carlos Santana’s $12 million club option for the 2017 season.
Santana, 30, was at the end of a five-year, $21 million extension that included the club option for the upcoming season. He made $8.25 million, per Baseball Prospectus, in 2016.
This turned out to be an easy decision for the Indians. Santana this past season hit .259 with a .366 on-base percentage, 34 home runs, 31 doubles, 87 RBI and 89 runs scored. Per FanGraphs, he gave the Indians 3.7 WAR, the best season of his career, just beating the 3.6 he had in 2013.
His 2016 production, along with him not turning 31 until April, made his price tag of $12 million for a one-year commitment a solid value compared to the open market. Currently, he’d be the highest-paid Indians player in 2017.
Another consideration is his fit with the Indians’ 2017 roster. Mike Napoli is a free agent and likely warranted a multi-year deal, possibly out of the Indians’ price range, with his 2016 season. That makes Santana their lone option between first base and the designated hitter spot as the offseason begins.
Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball was the first with the news.