The Pirates actually spent a relatively significant amount of money on a free agent, adding the first baseman/DH for a reported $6 million after he hit .202/.316/.376 with 19 home runs and 71 walks in 506 plate appearances for the Royals and Mariners in 2022. Santana’s numbers work out to 102 wRC+, about 2% better than average when accounting for ballparks and the scoring environment in MLB. He was about as productive as Trey Mancini, Ketel Marte, Luke Voit and CJ Cron.
Santana turns 37 in April, but he stands to benefit from the limitations put on defensive shifting next season. Nobody was shifted as much as him in 2022. For his career, Santana is a .242/.359/.432 hitter with 278 home runs, 1,148 walks, and 1,246 strikeouts over 13 seasons. The switch-hitter is reliably more potent from the right-handed batter’s box. He was an All-Star in 2019 with Cleveland, his first MLB team, and has a strong reputation for leadership and clubhouse culture. He should blend in well with young Bucs like Ke’Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz, and Roansy Contreras.
The Pirates, who also traded for left-handed slugger and acrobatic first baseman Ji-Man Choi in November, had not spent so much on free agents since the 2016-2017 offseason, when they added right-handers Daniel Hudson and Ivan Nova. They’re not expected to be playoff contenders in 2023.