On August 14, 2022, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays logo was displayed during batting practice ahead of their game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rogers Centre. (Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports)
The Toronto Blue Jays made a splash this week by emulating the Los Angeles Dodgers in signing Anthony Santander—not just by offering a significant contract, but by structuring it with deferred payments.
Santander inked a 5-year, $92.5 million deal with the Blue Jays on Monday. However, most of the money won’t be paid upfront. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the contract includes $61.75 million in deferred payments, giving it a present-day value of $68.6 million. This translates to an average annual value of $13.7 million, which is a relative bargain.
The Dodgers popularized this deferred payment approach last offseason when they signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting 10-year, $700 million deal. Ohtani will earn just $2 million annually during his time with the Dodgers, with the remaining $680 million spread out in $68 million installments from 2034 to 2043. This setup has allowed Los Angeles to maintain financial flexibility while keeping Ohtani on their roster.
Similarly, Santander’s deal could provide the Blue Jays with room to make additional moves in the short term. The 30-year-old switch-hitting outfielder has spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles and is coming off a stellar 2024 season. He earned All-Star and Silver Slugger honors, hitting 44 home runs with 102 RBIs despite a .235 batting average. Known for his durability, Santander has played in at least 152 games each of the past three seasons.
The Blue Jays, who finished with just 74 wins and at the bottom of the AL East last season, have been active this offseason. In addition to Santander, they recently acquired a three-time Gold Glove Award winner via trade. The structure of Santander’s contract should help them continue building their roster for the future.
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