The Cleveland Indians entered the season with hopes of signing Carlos Santana to a contract extension, but things may be changing on that front.
Jon Heyman reported in a column for Fan Rag Sports that the Indians haven’t talked about an extension with Santana and that the belief is he will become a free agent.
Santana, 31, has been one of the more consistent power hitters in the game since 2011. He averaged 24 homers a season between 2011-2016 and has a career .364 on-base percentage, which makes up for his low .247 career batting average. Santana is batting .230 this season, but his 15 doubles, five homers and 26 walks keep him at a reasonable .752 OPS.
Although Santana began his career as a catcher, he has moved away from that position and operated exclusively as a first baseman in 2015 and 2016. This season Santana has also seen some time in right field. He will probably interest a few clubs during the offseason and may be best suited to remain the AL.
