With Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernandez off the market, all eyes are now on Anthony Santander. He is the next big name that the teams are looking to add to their outfield, and the hype is real. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press named the Los Angeles Angels and the Detroit Tigers in the mix, and so are the Toronto Blue Jays! But why is Santander such a huge commodity now?

Well, Santander’s numbers do tell the story. Anthony Santander is fresh off hitting 44 home runs and has a .235/.308/.506 slash line for the Baltimore Orioles. But he isn’t just a one-hit wonder; Santander has been consistent over the years. Since 2020, he has gotten in 134 home runs, so he brings serious value to the mound. Now approaching 30, Anthony is looking for a four to five-year deal, with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox also deemed to be circling him.

If the Angels want to clinch him, they need to make an offer quickly and also bear the brunt of some losses; the question now is whether he is worth it. The Los Angeles Angels’ emergence as a front-runner for Anthony Santander is proof that they are all intent on making a major statement this offseason. The team has players like Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, and even pitchers like Kyle Hendricks, so, adding in Santander would help elevate the roster by a mile. But the major issue is the deal is not going to come cheap.

Santander has rejected the qualifying offer from his current team and made himself a costly acquisition. This means the Los Angeles Angels would need to let go of the second-round draft pick (approximately 47th overall) and $500,000 from their international signing bonus pool. This sacrifice could limit the team’s ability to get young talent and international players, but adding Anthony does seem to outweigh the cons.

Anthony Santander scored 44 home runs last season, and over the past three years, he has an OPS of .795. He is consistent, plus, his switch-hitting ability helps to balance the lineup, which is heavy on right-handed hitters. If the team signs Santander, he could take right field and join Mike Trout and Taylor Ward. Anthony can also protect Trout, who is currently injury-prone.

Moreover, this move could also spiral other trades involving Mickey Moniak. Santander’s bat and his versatility are huge factors that make the investment well worth it for the Los Angeles Angels—if they want to build a playoff-worthy team, this is it. Nonetheless, other teams are also willing to land him, so, nothing is certain as of now.

Anthony Santander could balance the Tiger’s lineup

The Los Angeles Angels are not without competition because the Detroit Tigers are apparently eying Antony Santander too. He could be just what the team needs to, after all, balance their lineup. Detroit is loaded with left-handed hitters, and they are looking for that right bat to even things out. The Tigers did add Gleyber Torres, but that doesn’t fill the spot; Torres is swapping in for Spencer Torkelson.

So, if Santander joins the team, he could take the right field and probably push Kerry Carpenter to the DH role. Then, Matt Vierling can probably move to third base in case Alex Bregman doesn’t end up in the Tigers. Although they will try their best for the Mets star. But Bregman is going to cost much more for the Tigers than Santander—if the team wants to save money, they could choose Santander—the crew would only have to give Ujo, their third-highest draft pick.

The real upside is that Santander’s bat could provide a much-needed power boost to the Tigers’ offense. So, do you think they would consider this move? Let us know below.