Carlos Santana Is Trying to Catch On With Atlanta After Arizona Let Him Go

The Atlanta Braves signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana to a minor league contract Saturday night. This happened one day after the Arizona Diamondbacks released him. He’s 40 years old now, and he’ll report to Triple-A Gwinnett to try to work his way back to the big leagues.

Arizona signed Santana for $2 million during spring training, but things went south fast. He played only eight games before pulling an adductor muscle in early April. That put him on the injured list April 7. He didn’t return until June 24, after being on the 60-day IL. Then the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment. He cleared waivers, and instead of sending him outright to Triple-A Reno, they just let him go.

Santana’s numbers in Arizona were brutal. Two hits in 24 at-bats. A .083 batting average over 26 plate appearances. He struck out at a 30.8% clip, and his swinging-strike rate hit a career-high 14.2%. Even on his rehab assignment, he only slashed .125/.276/.250 between the Arizona Complex League and Reno. It wasn’t enough to keep him around.

Why Arizona Brought Him In

The Diamondbacks signed Santana mostly for his glove. He won a Gold Glove at first base for the Twins in 2024, his first ever at age 39. But with him out most of the season, Arizona has been cycling through options at first base. Ildemaro Vargas, Tim Tawa, Jose Fernandez, Pavin Smith and LuJames Groover have all taken turns there. The results are ugly. Arizona first basemen have a combined .565 OPS, dead last in all of Major League Baseball.

Where Santana Fits in Atlanta

The Braves don’t exactly have a hole at first base. Matt Olson is the everyday guy, and he’s been an All-Star. Atlanta ranks sixth in MLB with an .884 OPS at the position. Dominic Smith has been solid at designated hitter, and rookie Drake Baldwin has also gotten some DH time to keep him fresh behind the plate.

But Santana is a switch-hitter, and that could matter down the stretch. His career OPS is 62 points higher when he bats right-handed. Against left-handed pitching, he could be a useful bench bat or a platoon option if he looks good in Triple-A. It’s a low-risk flier for a team that can afford to be patient.

Santana is now with his 10th organization over a 17-year major league career. He was an All-Star with Cleveland in 2019 and has played for the Guardians, Phillies, Brewers, Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Twins, Diamondbacks and now the Braves. At 40, he’s running out of chances. But Atlanta is giving him one more.