Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander is reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams in MLB free agency. Santander is fresh off a strong 2024 All-Star season and is expected to receive a lucrative contract in free agency. Juggernauts such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will be linked to him, but a surprise suitor has recently emerged.
“The Nationals are a young team, you look at what they've got with Dylan Crews, James Wood,” Jon Morosi said on MLB Network. “There's a lot of excitement now with the Washington Nationals and if they're able to get a veteran bat like Anthony Santander, I think their path back to the postseason becomes a lot shorter and more direct.”
Morosi's comments do not necessarily mean the Nationals will go all in on a Santander free agency pursuit. However, the comments will catch Nationals fans' attention. Rumors have swirled about the ball club potentially looking to make some big moves during the offseason. Adding a star like Santander would give the Nationals a reliable veteran bat.
Nationals linked to Anthony Santander in MLB free agency
Santander, 30, has quietly been productive in recent seasons. In 2024, Santander had a quality campaign. He slashed .235/.308/.506/.814. Santander also hit a career-high 44 home runs and drove in a career-high 102 runs. He had previously displayed power potential, but Santander reached new heights during the '24 season.
He can be a middle-of-the-order bat for any team that signs him. For Washington, he would immediately become one of the best players on the roster. Of course, Washington may not be ready to seriously compete in 2025 but they are getting closer to reaching their postseason goals.
If the Nationals are able to add multiple stars to their already impressive young core of players then perhaps a postseason run will not be out of the question in 2025.