Guardians legend commits to play for Dominican Republic in World Baseball Classic

Although Carlos Santana’s final year with the Cleveland Guardians didn’t amount to much, it looks like it’s not going to be the last time we get a chance to see him on the baseball diamond. 

While Santana hasn’t signed with a team for the 2026 season, the Dominican Republic confirmed the 39-year-old will be on the country’s roster for next month’s World Baseball Classic. 

Former Guardians great Carlos Santana commits to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic 

Last season, the Cleveland Guardians’ front office signed Santana to a one-year, $12 million deal that came on the same day that they traded Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

And although it was exciting to see Santana suit up at Progressive Field again, the on the field results were a bit underwhelming, as he hit just .225 in 116 games with the Guardians while posting an extremely underwhelming .333 slugging percentage. 

The Guardians ended up designating him for assignment at the end of August, where he was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Cubs. 

That didn’t end up amounting to much, as he went 2-for-19 in eight games with Chicago and was left off their postseason roster. 

When Santana was at his best with the Guardians, he made his presence known with his slugging power and strong eye at the plate. 

And while he posted a walk rate of 11% last year, his inability to hit the ball for any power made him dead weight behind Kyle Manzardo. 

The one thing he did bring to the table was solid defense, however. He was worth eight Outs Above Average last season (95th percentile) and was nominated for the American League Gold Glove at first base. 

That marked the second strong season for him on the dirt, as he won his first career Gold Glove in 2024 at 38. 

Now he’s going to join a stacked Dominican Republic team that just gained Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr, among others. 

This’ll be the third WBC for Santana, who played a key role for a DR team that won the tournament in 2013. He also played for the Dominican in 2017, though they failed to make it out of pool play. 

Santana’s set to turn 40 in April, so it seems like there’s a good chance that his big league playing days have come to an end. If so, this year’s WBC will serve as a great send-off for one of the best players in modern Cleveland baseball history.