After trading away Josh Naylor, the Cleveland Guardians replenished their first base power by signing veteran Carlos Santana. However, there is a universe where Santana signed with the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners offered Santana a one-year deal with a player option, something the Guardians did not. Furthermore, Santana said that his initial priority was joining Seattle. But once Cleveland agreed to their Naylor trade and a spot for Santana opened up, he couldn't resist, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

While the first baseman got a $12 million deal from the Guardians, the fact the Mariners offered an option is telling. Going on 40-years-old, it wasn't likely Santana earned a multi-year opportunity. He'd have to earn it of course, but his deal could've become of the two-year variety in Seattle.

Regardless, Santana spent the first eight years of his MLB career in Cleveland. After a brief one-year hiatus in 2018, Santana returned to the Guardians in 2019, where he won he earned his first and still only All-Star nomination. In the twilight of his career, Santana wanted to go home.

Which makes for a great story in Cleveland, and a troubling situation in Seattle. For as talented as Santana is, it's not like he was the top free-agent option at first base. However, the Mariners will now be hard-pressed to find an option as good as Santana at the same price point.

If the team doesn't make a significant addition at the position, Luke Raley is poised to open the season as the starter. In his first season with the Mariners, Raley hit .243 with a career-high 22 home runs and 58 RBI, to go alongside 11 stolen base. Seattle will be looking for more consistency, but they won't complain about the production.

Still, this is a Mariners team that finished 21 in the league with 676 runs scored in 2024. They were hoping Santana's bat would provide some extra thump. But after he went to the Guardians, they'll be searching for another option to bolster their lineup.