2) Anthony Santander
Both teams need some help in the outfield. If either one is not able to land Soto, they can also turn to Anthony Santander. Similar to Alonso, Santander is another power bat that can offer some offensive support in either stacked lineup. The 30-year-old veteran is coming off a good season with Baltimore. In his eighth big league season with the Orioles, he has produced a batting average of .235 along with 44 homers and 102 runs batted in. His homers and runs batted in this season were all career-highs..
There are also concerns about signing a guy like Santander. The first concern is having the ability to hit in the postseason. His postseason numbers right now are not great. Over two playoff games with the Orioles in 2024, he had an batting average of .125, managing one hit in eight at-bats. Neither did he record any extra base hits, RBIs, or runs scoring during these appearances.
The other concern is the ability to field. Similar to Soto, Santander does not have great fielding skills. This season he finished with -7 Runs Saved, which contributed to a 2.9 bWar. However, he was slightly better on balls hit to the deepest part of the field. Additionally, his arm strength and outfield throwing contributed negatively, as 61% of baserunners successfully advanced extra bases against him.