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Colorado Rockies: A trade proposal with the Seattle Mariners

By Noah Yingling

NAGOYA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 15: Outfielder Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners flies out in the bottom of 2nd inning during the game six between Japan and MLB All Stars at Nagoya Dome on November 15, 2018 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)
NAGOYA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 15: Outfielder Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners flies out in the bottom of 2nd inning during the game six between Japan and MLB All Stars at Nagoya Dome on November 15, 2018 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) /
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HIROSHIMA, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 13: Infielder Carlos Santana #41 of the Philadelhia Phillies grounds out in the bottom of 6th inning during the game four between Japan and MLB All Stars at Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium Hiroshima on November 13, 2018 in Hiroshima, Japan. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 13: Infielder Carlos Santana #41 of the Philadelhia Phillies grounds out in the bottom of 6th inning during the game four between Japan and MLB All Stars at Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium Hiroshima on November 13, 2018 in Hiroshima, Japan. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) /

For Santana, he is a reliable first baseman who is actually pretty decent at first base defensively. Since 2011, his first full season in the majors, he had played in at least 143 games per season and he has played in 152 or more games per season all but one of the seasons.

Santana does not hit for a high average (his career average is .247) but he walks a lot so his on-base percentage has always been very high as it has been over .350 in every single season in his career and .363 is his career average. In the past three seasons, he has averaged 27 home runs, 84 RBI, and an OPS+ of 114. In the past three seasons defensively, at first base, he has had 11 Defensive Runs Saved, according to Baseball Reference.

The Phillies had Santana at third base for 19 games last season to give Rhys Hoskins some time at first, which is his natural position and hence, why the Phillies traded him to the Mariners on Monday but Santana was still good defensively there (2 DRS) so if Nolan Arenado needs a day off or if he DH’s in an American League park, the Rockies could even utilize him there. He has also played the corner outfield spots in recent years but he has not been a great defender in either place.

Contractually, he is owed a little under $42 million for the next two seasons, which includes a buyout for $500k for the 2021 season. If the buyout is not exercised, the Rockies would have a team option for him for $17.5 million, which would be a paycut for Santana in his age 36 season.

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