Guardians make move to cut ties with beloved veteran as season spirals

The Cleveland Guardians’ first base situation hasn’t been settled all year thanks to the imperfect fit of Carlos Santana next to slugging prospect Kyle Manzardo and, more recently, prospect C.J. Kayfus.

While the front office may not feel comfortable handing the keys at first base to Manzardo, Santana is a respected veteran and franchise icon who is among the best defensive first baseman in baseball. 

On Tuesday, the Guardians took a step toward adding some clarity to that situation when they put Santana on outright waivers. The news was reported by The Athletic’s Zack Mesiel and Ken Rosenthal.

Guardians make move to cut ties with Carlos Santana as season spirals 

The move is another stark reminder of how rough the Guardians’ season has been this year. Most of the time at this point in the season, contending teams are adding talent through the waiver wire, not subtracting it, yet here we are. 

Earlier this week, we highlighted the (slim) chance the Guardians could sweep the Rangers and force Texas into a waiver wire sell-off. Instead, they’re placing a veteran leader on waivers in the hopes they could get some financial savings. 

But it’s important to note that just because Santana was placed on waivers doesn’t mean that’s guaranteed to be shipped out of town. The waiver cycle is in reverse order of winning percentage, so the Rockies would get the first pick, White Sox would get the second, etc. 

While Santana’s only hitting .225 this year, he’s in the 94th percentile in Outs Above Average and is a veteran presence with 30 games of postseason experience under his belt. He’s owed about $2 million for the rest of the season, which may make adding him worth it to a contender.

One intriguing team to keep an eye on is the Reds, who have gotten the worst production in the league from their first baseman (.214 batting average) and managed by old friend Terry Franconca, who is no stranger to what Santana can bring to a clubhouse. 

The waivers are irrevocable, meaning that if a team claims Santana, he’ll head there, no questions asked. The Guardians don’t need to assign him to a minor league affiliate or remove him from the roster if he goes unclaimed, though they could still choose to do so. 

Manzardo got the start at first base on Tuesday, while Kayfus for the start in right field. 

Santana’s placement on waivers will likely bring about an end to his third tenure with the club. Even if this year wasn’t incredibly productive, he’s still one of the best players in franchise history and one of the defining players in the team’s contention window in the 2010’s. 

Even if that time didn’t end with a World Series title, it doesn’t take away from what he meant to the Guardians and the city as a whole.