Anthony Santander is still going to hang over the Blue Jays’ plans, whether Toronto likes it or not.
That’s the awkward reality after a 2025 debut that went nowhere fast and then a 2026 season wiped out by a torn left shoulder labrum. Santander, who signed for $92.5 million, never got the chance to deliver the kind of middle-of-the-order punch the Blue Jays were banking on. Instead, he posted what was arguably the worst season of his career in 2025, with a 61 wRC+ - his lowest since 2018 - and a -0.9 fWAR, the worst mark he’s ever put up.
Then came the lost year. Santander did start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo in September, but it lasted only five games before a lower back tightness setback shut that down too.
He’ll turn 32 this month, and he’s logged just 221 MLB plate appearances since joining the Blue Jays. At this point, the uncertainty is baked in.
And yet Toronto can’t really treat him like an afterthought. He’s set to make $21 million next season, and with a lockout looming, the club won’t have a realistic chance to move that contract even if it wanted to. If the Blue Jays are going to get the most out of a roster that isn’t cheap, Santander has to start carrying his share of the load.
That’s not some blind leap of faith, either. From 2020 through 2024, he finished with a 118 wRC+ or better in four of five seasons, and he hit at least 28 home runs in each of his final three years in that span. Toronto has seen what middling production looks like up close this year: among Blue Jays with at least 300 plate appearances, Kazuma Okamoto led the team with 33 homers, while Alejandro Kirk led in wRC+ at 114.
Santander isn’t all that far removed from being a productive bat. The question is how much of that remains after the shoulder and back issues. The power may not be fully there anymore, but even a hitter a little better than league average would help a Blue Jays lineup that needs it.
There’s also a path to at-bats waiting for him. With George Springer set to hit free agency this winter, Toronto has an opening at designated hitter. That’s where Santander could be asked to help reclaim some value.
It’s not an ideal setup to be leaning on an aging, injured veteran who’s barely played over the last two seasons. But Toronto made the commitment, and now the Blue Jays need Santander to justify it.
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Blue Jays Still Need Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To Answer One Huge Question
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Now the focus shifts to what comes next, and whether a postseason procedure can help clear up some of what bothered him throughout the year. Toronto has watched other clubs keep playing deep into October with stars carrying the load, while the Blue Jays are left hoping Guerrero can rediscover the force that makes their lineup work in the first place. The next answer matters because if he is not right, the lineup still has a long way to go. [Read more 🡒]