The Cleveland Guardians just announced that they have released Carlos Santana and added Daniel Schneemann back to the roster:
I am clinging on to the slim hope that this move is a precusor to demoting Will Wilson and bringing up George Valera, Jhonkensy Noel or Petey Halpin (in that order of preference). If this team is going to ask us to watch Wilson for the next… however long… I am going to be incensed. Wilson is bad. He had a good game Wednesday, thank you, Will. But, he’s bad. There is zero reason
for this team to have him on their roster with Schneemann returning. Get some reps for Valera, Noel or Halpin and get some more information on the question of whether any of those three can help in 2026 and beyond. Zero excuse for one more Will Wilson at-bat unless there is some notable injury.
As for Santana, he had an 86 wRC+ and a .225/.316/.333 slashline. You can’t justify putting that player on your roster anymore than you can putting Will Wilson on the roster. Maybe, now that the Guardians are on the hook for the remaining $2 million on his contract, some contender can carry him as their 14th position player in September and give him a chance to play stellar first base defense and take a walk now and then. I hope and expect that Santana will make many return trips to Progressive Field in retirement. Personally, I will always try to remember Santana’s excellent 2019 season as his swan song in a Cleveland uniform (138 wRC+) instead of his step-back in the COVID-shortened season or the poorly thought-through decision to bring him here as a 39 year-old. Prior to this season, Santana had a 123 wRC+ with Cleveland, 216 home runs, and was third in WAR among Cleveland players during that time at 21.6. He was also, as we all know, the Dominican God of Walks as he is 41st all-time in MLB in walks at the moment, at 1,330.
Santana will be remembered as the harbinger of this team’s return to prominence when he arrived in 2010 with his trademark scowl at the plate and for the iconic pop-up catch against the Blue Jays to put the Indians in the World Series. He also JUST got under a pitch from Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the 9th and if he had gotten the barrel there… he would be among the most beloved players in franchise history by just about everyone.
Baseball, a game of inches. But, despite the heartbreak of that near miss, I think I speak for almost all Guardians’ fans when I say that we will always love Carlos Santana and call him our own. My first authentic jersey was Santana’s and I’m glad to say it is a jersey I will be able to wear with pride for the rest of my life.
I wish it could have gone better for Santana and for the Guardians this season, but I hope this failure of a signing encourages the franchise decision makers to swing bigger this offseason and pursue players like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger, Ryan O’Hearn and Trent Grisham in free agency. But, hey, I won’t hold my breath. Especially if I am forced to watch Will Wilson one more time, I swear to goodness. Don’t try me, Chris Antonetti.
