Toronto Blue Jays facing uncomfortable situation with Santander
The Toronto Blue Jays’ five-year, $92 million deal handed to Anthony Santander last offseason isn’t delivering the way either party had hoped.
After a career-high 44 home runs with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, Santander’s addition was expected to add plenty of offence to a Jays team that struggled to score runs last season.
While the Blue Jays have seen a resurgence in 2025, it hasn’t been because of Santander. The 30-year-old outfielder has played just 50 games this season after suffering a shoulder injury in May.
After several months off, Santander was able to complete a rehab stint with Triple-A Buffalo and is now back in Toronto with the Blue Jays. He’s reportedly told management he is ready to return, though the Jays brass is seemingly hesitant to reinsert him into the lineup.
The #BlueJays still haven’t made a decision on Anthony Santander…
He’s told the team he feels ready to compete. Schneider says they’re trying to make the decision that’s best for everyone.
We should know the next steps by tomorrow, but there aren’t many tomorrows left.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 23, 2025
With just six games remaining in the Blue Jays’ regular season schedule, this may simply be a case of manager John Schneider not knowing who to take out of the lineup for his team’s big free-agent signing. The Jays have been rolling all season long, while Santander, who struggled prior to his injury, likely has some rust to shake off before being a positive contributor to the lineup.
Before his injury, Santander was hitting just .179 with six home runs and 18 RBI through 209 plate appearances. Perhaps a nagging injury played a part in those struggles, but you can understand why management may be hesitant to make him a regular in the lineup.
It sounds as though we will figure out what lies ahead in terms of Santander’s usage for the remainder of the season in the coming days. He won’t be in the lineup on Tuesday versus the Boston Red Sox, though any games beyond that are unknown. Should the Jays opt to keep him on the bench, this could become an unfortunate distraction for a team otherwise firing on all cylinders.