The Arizona Diamondbacks pulled the plug on the Carlos Santana experiment Wednesday before it ever really got going. The club reinstated the veteran first baseman from the 60-day injured list and immediately designated him for assignment, ending his brief and underwhelming stint in the desert.
Santana, 40, signed a one-year, $2 million deal last winter hoping to provide some left-handed pop off the bench. Instead, he played just eight games, hitting .083 with a .154 on-base percentage and a .125 slugging percentage. Then a right adductor strain landed him on the IL in April, and he never made it back onto the active roster.
The Diamondbacks announced the roster moves on X, formerly Twitter, as part of a broader shuffle that included recalling pitcher Mitch Bratt from Triple-A Reno and optioning Kohl Drake back to Reno. Santana’s rehab window had run its course, and Arizona had a decision to make.
A Short and Sour Stay
For a guy who spent 15 seasons as a reliable presence in the middle of lineups in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Kansas City and elsewhere, this one stings. Santana was never going to be the 34-homer guy he was in his prime, but the hope was he could still work a count and play solid defense at first. Neither materialized.
The D-Backs posted the standard transaction language on social media: “We have made the following roster moves.” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale added context, noting Santana’s contract and the immediate DFA.
Arizona needed roster space because players on the 60-day IL don’t count against the 40-man. Rather than activate him and eat a roster spot for a guy not producing, the club cut bait. Simple math, cold business.
What’s Next for Santana
The DFA means Santana is effectively free to negotiate with other teams once he clears waivers, which he almost certainly will at that salary. He could land in a bench role somewhere — a contender needing a righty bat or a team short on veteran presence down the stretch. But the clock is ticking on a 40-year-old with a .083 average this season and an injury history that gets longer every year.
It’s not a Hall of Fame resume, but Santana has played for six organizations, made an All-Star team, won a Gold Glove and been part of some memorable postseason runs. That counts for something. Now the question is whether anyone still wants that kind of guy on their bench.
For now, the Diamondbacks move on. The roster spot opens up. The season grinds forward. Santana waits by the phone.
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