MLB Rumors: Why Phillies Shopping Carlos Santana After Only One Season

Carlos Santana’s tenure in the City of Brotherly Love ultimately might prove to be a pit-stop.

The Philadelphia Phillies are “shopping the hell” out of the veteran first baseman with hopes of moving his hefty salary off their payroll and shifting Rhys Hoskins from left field back to first base, a rival executive told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Sunday.

Santana is just one year into the three-year, $60 million contract he signed last December, but Hopkins’ outfield struggles and the Phillies’ impending pursuits of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper might have made Santana already expendable.

However, Rosenthal expects Santana’s exit to be costly for the Phillies who “… undoubtedly would need to include cash to facilitate any deal — and that might be on top of paying, ahem, Harper or Machado and whoever else they might acquire.”

Santana, 32, hit .229 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs in 161 games last season. His production was consistent with the numbers he posted during his first seven-plus MLB seasons, which he spent with the Cleveland Indians.

His contract guarantees him $21 million in 2019 and 2020. The deal also contains a $17.5 million team option for 2021 with a $500,000 buyout.

Interested teams might boost their prospects by trading for Santana, especially if they can drive a hard-enough bargain with the Phillies.