Perhaps a departure from Los Angeles was the best move for starting pitcher Ervin Santana, as in 2013 he posted a career-best 3.24 ERA with the Kansas City Royals starting 32 games and finishing with a 9-10 mark.
Santana is again back on the free-agent market, and because of payroll restraints Kansas City is likely out of contention to retain their top starter. Certainly, Santana should warrant attention from teams in need of a right-handed starter in their rotation.
His asking price, according to CBS Sports, is five years and $112 million, and because of his stellar ’13 campaign, he ranks among the league’s best in terms of statistical value.
Santana was tied with Yu Darvish, Jordan Zimmermann, and American League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer for the eighth-highest total of “strong starts” last year. Most importantly, Santana improved his home-run rate after allowing a career-high 39 dingers in 2012 with the Angels, reducing that total to 26 with the Royals.
However, some doubt still surrounds Santana.
Consistency issues have plagued him, as he has had four superb seasons as well as five subpar seasons. Allowing home runs has been front and center, which makes finding him the right ballpark a must.
Among the teams that have shown interest in the 31-year-old are the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners.
The D-Backs were the first team to meet with Santana, but signing him will cost the team a first-round draft pick. With that in mind, another free agent such as Matt Garza may be a more feasible option. Soon after agreeing to terms with Bartolo Colon, the Mets met with Santana, though not much transpired from there.
The Blue Jays have an advantage over competing Santana suitors, as the team’s two first-round picks are protected so it would only cost them a second-round pick to ink him to a deal.
As time goes on, it’s likely Santana’s asking price will begin to dwindle, too, which means more teams such as the New York Yankees or the Philadelphia Phillies could enter the mix. Perhaps he has to wait for Garza or some other free-agent starters to find a home first before he follows suit.
