After a series of failed pursuits, the Toronto Blue Jays finally landed a notable free agent, signing Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract. While he wasn’t a superstar like Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, Santander was a reliable power hitter expected to give the Jays’ offense a much-needed lift. At least, that was the hope. Unfortunately, his start in Toronto has been underwhelming, and he’s now headed to the injured list with left shoulder inflammation.
The injury isn’t a huge surprise—Santander had been dealing with shoulder issues since early May and wasn’t playing at full strength. Moving him to the IL gives him time to recover physically and mentally.
Though sidelining him was likely the right call, it highlights how poorly the signing has worked out so far. Expectations were high, but the deal has not aged well.
Santander was signed to bring power to a Blue Jays team that finished near the bottom of the league in home runs last year. Despite his flaws—namely his low average and questionable defense—he had hit 44 home runs the year before and averaged 35 homers and 95 RBIs over the previous three seasons.
But through his first 50 games with Toronto, Santander has underperformed significantly, slashing just .179/.273/.304 with six home runs and 18 RBIs. He’s been outpaced by teammates like Daulton Varsho and has matched the struggling George Springer in home runs despite far more playing time.
Statistically, he’s been among the league’s least effective position players. His 66 wRC+ ranks 156th out of 169 qualified hitters, and his -0.8 fWAR places him near the bottom of the list.
It’s particularly frustrating given the size of his contract and the fact that he was supposed to be a fallback after Toronto missed out on other big names. Fans were hoping he’d turn things around, but now that he’s injured, it’s unclear when—or if—that breakthrough will come.
The Blue Jays remain in the AL Wild Card mix largely due to the mediocrity of the league, but their chances hinge on getting more production from players like Santander. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette can’t carry the load alone. If Santander can return healthy and productive, he could still be a difference-maker—but fans will need to see it to believe it.
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