Santana gets $60M deal with Phillies

Carlos Santana, a key part of the Indians’ success the last five years, left the Tribe on Dec. 15 to sign a three-year, $60 million contract with the Phillies.

Santana made $12 million with the Indians last season in the final season of the first baseman’s five-year, $21,001,900 contract. He will be 32 on April 8 and had to figure this will be his last chance to sign a contract of this value.

Santana’s deal was first reported by Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Two sources familiar with the deal spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is contingent on Santana passing a physical.

Last winter the Indians signed slugger Edwin Encarnacion to a similar three-year, $60 million contract.

The Indians have now lost relief pitcher Bryan Shaw to the Rockies (three years, $27 million) and Santana. Reliever Joe Smith, acquired by the Indians at the trading deadline last summer, signed a twoyear, $15 million deal with the Astros on Dec. 13. Their last major free agent still on the market is outfielder Jay Bruce.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported the Giants are showing interest in Bruce, though no offer has been made. Bruce was linked to the Astros and Rangers last month. One report had Bruce looking for a five-year deal in the $80 million to $90 million range.

The Indians wanted to keep Santana, but were prepared to lose him. He rejected a one-year qualifying offer of $17.4 million, but by making it the Indians get a draft pick in the “sandwich round” between the first and second round as compensation because Santana’s deal is worth more than $50 million.

The compensation rule applies only to a player that was with a team for the entire season. In other words, the Indians won’t get a compensatory pick if Bruce signs with another team because the Indians got him in a trade with the Mets on Aug. 9 — one day after left fielder Michael Brantley suffered a sprained ankle that in essence ended Brantley’s season.

Durability is one of Santana’s strengths. He has never played fewer than 152 games in any of the last five seasons. Now Manager Terry Francona has to choose a different first baseman.

“We’ve got Edwin we can certainly put there,” Francona on Dec. 13 told reporters covering the winter meetings in Orlando. “We can put Lonnie (Chisenhall) there if we want. I think we’d probably like to sign somebody.”

Santana — who has spent his entire career in the Indians organization — collected 148 hits, the second most of his career, in 2017. He hit .259 while hitting 23 home runs and driving in 79 runs. He had 151 hits in 2016 with 34 homers and 87 RBI. All were career highs.

Santana has a career .249 batting average with 174 home runs and 587 RBI.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Carlos Santana hits a two-run home run against the Tigers in Detroit on July 1. Santana left to sign with the Phillies on Dec. 15.

JIM MONE — ASSOCIATED PRESS Carlos Santana keeps his face partly covered against the Twins on April 20 in Minneapolis.