The Toronto Blue Jays went all in with this one—a five-year, $92.5 million commitment. Ideally, such a bold and expensive deal is expected to be transformational, right? At least, that’s what the front office expected when they offered the contract to this right fielder. The Blue Jays were aiming to get power on the plate, consistency, and a long-term impact. Just a few months down the line, the team has been asked to rethink their move.
If you’ve picked up on the hints, yes, it’s Anthony Santander. No doubt, he entered the 2025 season putting up an impressive performance, and his numbers back it up well. In fact, looking at the bigger picture, across the last three years, he has hit 105 home runs. It’s the sixth highest in the majors. And guess what? He’s ahead of stars like Yordan Alvarez and Juan Soto. Sounds almost unbelievable? Cause it is. Santander has made almost 300 more plate appearances than Alvarez.
However, that alone isn’t enough. He couldn’t stay healthy. Just earlier this month, he hurt his shoulder when he made a headfirst dive into the stands to chase a foul ball. That’s not it. When he returned, he felt an apparent hip discomfort. And because of the same, he was unable to swing from the right side at all.
Now, given his contract value, the Blue Jays haven’t been receiving any return. In fact, Bleacher Report has ranked Anthony Santander as second in MLB’s worst 2025 contract busts.
Manager John Schneider didn’t hold back, pointing out Santander’s ‘careless mistakes’. Well, he did strike out in his last at-bat of the game, and he faced 11 pitches but fouled off six. Schneider said, “Again, this is not about effort. It’s just about staying mentally locked in and navigating the ups and downs of what every single game is going to present to you. I think that’s where the inconsistencies come from.” So far, his batting average sits at .188 with a .270 OBP and a .327 slugging percentage.
Instead of helping, he is hurting the team at this point. His bWAR is -0.6, and he’s currently on pace for less than 20 home runs. And well, the Blue Jays didn’t invest $92.5 million for such poor performance.
He had a few rough starts in April, but the Blue Jays and the fans cut him slack that time. We’re now at the end of May, and the blue jays cannot ignore what’s right in front of them. It’s high time for them to rethink.
Blue Jays’ Anthony Santander opens up about his struggles
With so much attention on Anthony Santander over his embarrassing struggles, he himself isn’t hiding from it. He accepts it. “I always swing hard. When I’m struggling and swing hard, I don’t make good contact, so this is going to help me be more calm, be more straight to the ball and put the ball in play, ” he said. Last year, he batted .235 with a .308 OBP. The gaps were evident, but his 44 home runs made up for those.
He added, “When you’re struggling a little bit, you chase too much. I’ve been chasing a lot, so I’ve just tried to slow it down and square myself.” Maybe it’s the pool of expectations around him that has made him chase more than he should. He’s aware that pitchers are intentionally attacking the edges of the zone. All he’s doing at this point is adjusting.
He also admitted later in a statement that he has started to feel more in control of his hits. “I’m able to be on time and see the ball much better.” However, even by the end of May, he’s just adjusting. Manager John Schneider is trying his best with experiments around Santander.
He believes giving him more play time and moving him around the lineup might shift the dynamics. However, at least for now, nothing has shifted. As of 28th May, the Blue Jays stand at 26-28 after losing a game to the Texas Rangers by 2-0. Before this game, the Blue Jays handed the Rangers a 2-1 loss. And now these two are going for their final matchup on 29th May. Let’s see how Santander delivers this time.
The post $92.5M Flop Warrants Urgent Blue Jays Rethink as Worst Bust Claims Mount Amid Embarrassing Struggles appeared first on EssentiallySports.
