By admin 
The Baltimore Orioles had much bigger plans for their 2024 season, but saw it end prematurely in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
It was a disappointing end to what looked to be a promising season, but the Orioles were able to develop more of their young budding stars.
On the other end of the spectrum, a veteran from Baltimore had a career year when he first approached free agency with outfielder Anthony Santander.
Santander proved to be a useful part of the Orioles lineup due to his veteran leadership and power that helped the team to its second postseason appearance in as many seasons.
The career year Santander had should have a positive impact on the upcoming contract he gets, and so should Keith Law The Athletics ranks the outfielder as the 17th best available free agent in this winter’s class.
“He should get four-year AAV offers of $20 to $22 million,” Law writes, “in a weak market for power hitters.”
Santander set a new career high in home runs this year, hitting 44 while hitting .235/.308/.506 and racking up 102 RBI, his first-ever season with 100+ RBI, with a 134 OPS+ over 665 plate appearances in 155 games .
Over his career, the veteran has hit .246/.307/.469 with 155 home runs, 435 RBI and 114 OPS+ over 3,115 plate appearances in 746 games.
The best ability is availability and Santander has proven over the last three years that he is capable of stepping up every day and helping his team in their quest for victory, playing in 460 of 486 matches in that time.
The slugger earned the first All-Star nod of his career this year after hitting .237/.301/.503 with 24 home runs, 58 RBI and a 123 OPS+ in the first half of the campaign.
Finding his power stroke at such a higher level could be beneficial for the veteran, opening up the possibilities for teams willing to go after him in free agency.
It’s been a crazy ride for the outfielder, from a Rule 5 draft pick to a highly sought-after free agent, and he still has many years left.
Santander can play a big role in the middle of any contender’s lineup for many years to come, and the slugger is still in the midst of his prime.