CLEVELAND -- Carlos Santana will forever be a legend in the storied history of Cleveland baseball. But on Thursday, the third chapter of the first baseman’s decorated career with the franchise came to a close.
The Guardians announced they released Santana, a decision that followed the club placing the 39-year-old on outright waivers on Tuesday. Santana may now sign with another team as a free agent. He will be eligible for the postseason should he land with a new club by Sept. 1.
“Obviously a tough day,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “What Carlos Santana has meant to this organization and to our team can't be put into words. He's one of the best people I've met in the game, one of the best teammates, one of the best players.”
Santana (who has spent 11 of his 16 seasons in the Majors with Cleveland) signed a one-year, $12 million deal on Dec. 23, a move made to help boost the Guardians’ lineup after they traded Josh Naylor to Arizona on Dec. 21 for Slade Cecconi.
In recent weeks, Santana’s playing time reduced while Cleveland pivoted toward youngsters Kyle Manzardo and C.J. Kayfus at first base. Santana started in 22 of 37 games after the All-Star break, compared to 86 of the Guardians’ 95 games in the first half. The club and Santana shared dialogue about what his opportunities would look like the rest of the season.
Cleveland could have held on to Santana after he cleared waivers on Thursday, but the two sides reached a “joint decision” that his release was the best path forward, club president Chris Antonetti said. Santana can now pursue a new opportunity, as the Guardians keep the future in mind by getting Manzardo and Kayfus more playing time while trying to stay in the postseason race.
“I think we’ve continued to play competitive baseball, and our hope is that we can continue to find a way to win games between now and the balance of the season,” Antonetti said. “In an ideal world, we can do that with a young group of players that would not only help us win this year, but also help give them some experience and opportunities and position them better heading into 2026.”
Over 116 games, Santana slashed .225/.316/.333 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs and recorded 7 Outs Above Average at first (tied with Ryan O’Hearn and Matt Olson for second in the Majors), while providing leadership in Cleveland's clubhouse.
“I know Carlos wishes the outcomes were better and the performance was better [offensively],” Antonetti said. “But it wasn't for a lack of effort [or] a lack of preparation, and I gave him a ton of credit. Throughout the ups and downs of his season, he was very much a stabilizing veteran presence on our team and made a massive impact on helping some of the other guys get through the inevitable ups and downs of the season.”
Santana made his MLB debut with Cleveland on June 11, 2010. He helped the club reach the postseason four times (’13, ’16, ’17 and ’18), including the World Series nine years ago.
Santana ranks among the leaders in franchise history in numerous statistical categories. His 227 home runs are fifth most, and second most among switch-hitters, behind only José Ramírez (281).
Santana ranks fourth in homers by a Cleveland player at Progressive Field (113), behind Jim Thome (178), José Ramírez (134) and Manny Ramirez (122). He ranks eighth in extra-base hits (524) and 11th in doubles (283).
Cleveland originally landed Santana from the Dodgers on July 26, 2008, in a trade that sent Casey Blake to Los Angeles. His original tenure in Cleveland spanned 2010-17, before he departed for the Phillies as a free agent during the 2017-18 offseason.
Cleveland reacquired him on Dec. 13, 2018, in a three-way trade with Seattle and Tampa Bay.
“He’s probably going to be in the Cleveland Hall of Fame here in a few years, I would guess,” Vogt said. “What he's meant in his three different stints here, playing on a World Series team, coming back. He always calls this home, and even throughout this process, he just was super grateful and thankful, and referred to the people here in Cleveland as his family.
“What he's taught our young guys as well, it's invaluable.”