Biographical

Carlos Santana 1BRoyals

Royals Player Cards | Royals Team Audit | Royals Depth Chart

2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 33)

PA	AVG	HR	R	RBI	SB	DRC+	WARP
Login or Subscribe today for access to projections!

Birth Date	4-8-1986
Height	5' 11"
Weight	215 lbs

Age	38 years, 0 months, 11 days
Bats	B
Throws	R

: 1.32015
: 3.62016
: 2.62017
: 1.82018
: 2.72019
proj

WARP Summary

Show All
Stats Only
Transactions
More PECOTA
Splits
Book Comments
Pitch f/x
Articles
Catching

MLB Statistics

YEAR	TEAM	AGE	G	PA	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	DRAA	BRR	FRAA	BWARP
2010	CLE	24	46	192	39	13	0	6	37	29	1	3	0	.260	.401	.467	123	5.3	-0.1	-1.7	1.2
2011	CLE	25	155	658	132	35	2	27	97	133	2	5	3	.239	.351	.457	116	12.6	-1.8	-25.4	0.5
2012	CLE	26	143	609	128	27	2	18	91	101	3	3	5	.253	.365	.420	119	13.3	-2.2	-24.8	0.7
2013	CLE	27	154	642	145	39	1	20	93	110	4	3	1	.268	.377	.455	123	17.6	-2.6	-13.6	2.0
2014	CLE	28	152	660	125	25	0	27	113	124	3	5	2	.231	.365	.427	127	19.3	-1.8	1.1	3.1
2015	CLE	29	154	666	127	29	2	19	108	122	3	11	3	.231	.357	.395	112	11.9	-2.3	-3.6	1.3
2016	CLE	30	158	688	151	31	3	34	99	99	2	5	2	.259	.366	.498	127	23.6	-0.9	4.6	3.6
2017	CLE	31	154	667	148	37	3	23	88	94	6	5	1	.259	.363	.455	114	13.8	-1.9	6.8	2.6
2018	PHI	32	161	679	128	28	2	24	110	93	1	2	1	.229	.352	.414	108	8.9	0.2	-0.1	1.8
2019	CLE	33	158	686	161	30	1	34	108	108	3	4	0	.281	.397	.515	138	36.9	1.1	3.9	4.8
Career			1435	6147	1284	294	16	232	944	1013	28	46	18	.250	.367	.450	121	163.3	-12.3	-52.7	21.6

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	PA	oppAVG	oppOBP	oppSLG	BABIP	BPF	BRAA	repLVL	POS_ADJ	DRC+	DRC+ SD	FRAA	BRR	DRAA	BWARP
2006	VRO	A+	FSL	54	223	.000	.000	.000	.329			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2006	OGD	Rk	PIO	37	168	.263	.358	.397	.311	114	11	4.5	-1.3	154	0	14.8	-0.2	10.1	2.8
2007	GRL	A	MDW	86	334	.256	.324	.373	.241	96	-2	10.0	3.8	101	0	-1.9	-1.3	0.8	1.1
2008	KIN	A+	CRL	29	126	.266	.342	.402	.413	99	13.4	3.8	1.5	173	0	-0.5	1.5	7.9	1.4
2008	SBR	A+	CLF	99	434	.281	.349	.431	.355	97	41.2	12.9	4.7	0	0	0.8	1.5	0.0	0.0
2008	AKR	AA	EAS	2	8	.240	.303	.384	.000	113	-0.9	0.4	-0.1	64	0	0.0	0.4	-0.7	0.0
2009	AKR	AA	EAS	130	535	.261	.337	.394	.314	98	44.7	15.9	4.8	165	0	1.3	4.3	37.6	6.7
2010	CLE	MLB	AL	46	192	.257	.324	.412	.277	105	9.6	5.3	2.4	123	12	-1.7	-0.1	5.3	1.2
2010	COH	AAA	INT	57	246	.264	.336	.412	.340	110	19.3	7.5	2.7	178	0	9.2	1.7	21.0	4.0
2011	CLE	MLB	AL	155	658	.258	.322	.406	.263	102	15	17.7	1.4	116	8	-25.4	-1.8	12.6	0.5
2012	CLE	MLB	AL	143	609	.253	.316	.401	.278	99	17.4	16.7	3.4	119	8	-24.8	-2.2	13.3	0.7
2012	LKC	A	MID	1	4	.231	.297	.330	.000	98	0.6	0.1	-0.1	115	0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0
2012	ESC	Wnt	DWL	20	86	.000	.000	.000	.269			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2013	CLE	MLB	AL	154	642	.255	.317	.402	.301	100	29	16.9	0.2	123	8	-13.6	-2.6	17.6	2.0
2013	DOM	int	WBC	6	24	.000	.000	.000	.333			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2014	CLE	MLB	AL	152	660	.257	.319	.396	.249	103	21.2	17.0	-7.2	127	7	1.1	-1.8	19.3	3.1
2015	CLE	MLB	AL	154	666	.255	.317	.408	.261	109	2.3	18.0	-11.5	112	9	-3.6	-2.3	11.9	1.3
2016	CLE	MLB	AL	158	688	.258	.323	.426	.258	113	15	19.5	-12.4	127	7	4.6	-0.9	23.6	3.6
2017	CLE	MLB	AL	154	667	.262	.330	.440	.274	104	13.4	19.5	-12.3	114	7	6.8	-1.9	13.8	2.6
2018	PHI	MLB	NL	161	679	.249	.319	.407	.231	95	17.7	19.0	-10.8	108	8	-0.1	0.2	8.9	1.8
2019	CLE	MLB	AL	158	686	.260	.329	.445	.293	99	37.4	20.7	-13.3	138	7	3.9	1.1	36.9	4.8

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

Year	Team	lvl	LG	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	TB	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	SF	SH
2006	VRO	A+	FSL	223	198	16	53	10	2	3	76	18	23	43	0	3	.268	.347	.384	.116	0	0
2006	OGD	Rk	PIO	168	132	31	40	5	1	7	68	27	30	19	4	0	.303	.436	.515	.212	0	0
2007	GRL	A	MDW	334	292	32	65	20	1	7	108	36	40	45	5	3	.223	.317	.370	.147	1	1
2008	SBR	A+	CLF	434	350	88	113	34	4	14	197	96	69	59	7	4	.323	.438	.563	.240	2	2
2008	AKR	AA	EAS	8	8	3	1	0	0	1	4	2	0	2	0	0	.125	.125	.500	.375	0	0
2008	KIN	A+	CRL	126	105	34	37	5	1	6	62	19	20	24	3	0	.352	.456	.590	.238	0	0
2009	AKR	AA	EAS	535	428	91	124	30	2	23	227	97	90	83	2	2	.290	.421	.530	.241	0	0
2010	COH	AAA	INT	246	196	39	62	14	1	13	117	51	45	39	6	0	.316	.451	.597	.281	0	0
2010	CLE	MLB	AL	192	150	23	39	13	0	6	70	22	37	29	3	0	.260	.401	.467	.207	4	0
2011	CLE	MLB	AL	658	552	84	132	35	2	27	252	79	97	133	5	3	.239	.351	.457	.217	7	0
2012	LKC	A	MID	4	4	1	1	0	0	1	4	2	0	0	0	0	.250	.250	1.000	.750	0	0
2012	CLE	MLB	AL	609	507	72	128	27	2	18	213	76	91	101	3	5	.253	.365	.420	.168	8	0
2012	ESC	Wnt	DWL	86	71	7	14	4	0	0	18	6	14	20	1	0	.197	.326	.254	.056	1	0
2013	CLE	MLB	AL	642	541	75	145	39	1	20	246	74	93	110	3	1	.268	.377	.455	.187	4	0
2013	DOM	int	WBC	24	16	4	5	0	0	2	11	3	8	5	0	1	.313	.542	.688	.375	0	0
2014	CLE	MLB	AL	660	541	68	125	25	0	27	231	85	113	124	5	2	.231	.365	.427	.196	3
2015	CLE	MLB	AL	666	550	72	127	29	2	19	217	85	108	122	11	3	.231	.357	.395	.164	5	0
2016	CLE	MLB	AL	688	582	89	151	31	3	34	290	87	99	99	5	2	.259	.366	.498	.239	5	0
2017	CLE	MLB	AL	667	571	90	148	37	3	23	260	79	88	94	5	1	.259	.363	.455	.196	2	0
2018	PHI	MLB	NL	679	560	82	128	28	2	24	232	86	110	93	2	1	.229	.352	.414	.186	8	0
2019	CLE	MLB	AL	686	573	110	161	30	1	34	295	93	108	108	4	0	.281	.397	.515	.234	2	0

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%	CSAA
2010	794	0.4786	0.3892	0.7508	0.6263	0.1715	0.8025	0.5775	0.2492	-0.0096
2011	2783	0.4948	0.3751	0.7529	0.5606	0.1935	0.8174	0.5699	0.2471	-0.0071
2012	2582	0.5019	0.3885	0.7777	0.5849	0.1905	0.8391	0.5878	0.2223	-0.0141
2013	2727	0.4774	0.3902	0.8064	0.5760	0.2204	0.8880	0.6115	0.1936	-0.0070
2014	2784	0.4655	0.3728	0.7852	0.5764	0.1956	0.8621	0.5876	0.2148	-0.0123
2015	2836	0.4665	0.3667	0.8058	0.5646	0.1937	0.8755	0.6280	0.1942	-0.0079
2016	2765	0.4647	0.3906	0.8083	0.5992	0.2095	0.8753	0.6419	0.1917	0.0000
2017	2630	0.4722	0.3992	0.8057	0.6047	0.2154	0.8668	0.6522	0.1943	0.0000
2018	2793	0.4694	0.4121	0.8063	0.6125	0.2348	0.8705	0.6580	0.1937	0.0000
2019	2766	0.4613	0.3930	0.7967	0.6160	0.2020	0.8550	0.6445	0.2033	0.0000
Career	25460	0.4748	0.3875	0.7926	0.5894	0.2051	0.8594	0.6189	0.2074	-0.0055

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2014-05-26	2014-06-06	7-DL	11	9	-	Head	Concussion	Foul Ball	-
2014-04-18	2014-04-18	DTD	0	0	Left	Groin	Strain		-	-
2013-04-23	2013-04-26	DTD	3	1	-	General Medical	Illness		-	-
2013-04-09	2013-04-14	DTD	5	3	Left	Thumb	Contusion	HBP	-	-
2012-06-28	2012-07-02	DTD	4	4	-	Low Back	Soreness		-	-
2012-05-26	2012-06-04	7-DL	9	8	-	Head	Concussion	Foul Ball	-	-
2011-09-04	2011-09-04	DTD	0	0	Right	Ankle	Soreness	Jammed From Sliding	-	-
2010-08-03	2010-10-04	60-DL	62	56	Left	Knee	Surgery	LCL	2010-08-06
2010-07-27	2010-07-28	DTD	1	1	Left	Knee	Contusion	HBP on Patella	-
2010-06-25	2010-06-25	DTD	0	0	Left	Thumb	Contusion		-
2010-04-21	2010-04-23	DTD	2	2		Knee	Contusion	Foul Ball	-
2009-12-08	2009-12-08	Off	0	0	Right	Wrist	Surgery	Hamate	2009-12-08

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2024	MIN	$5,250,000
2023	PIT	$6,725,000
2022	KCA	$10,500,000
2021	KCA	$7,000,000
2020	SEA	$4,000,000
2020	CLE	$16,833,333
2019	SEA	$2,000,000
2019	CLE	$18,333,334
2018	PHI	$18,333,333
2017	CLE	$12,000,000
2016	CLE	$8,450,000
2015	CLE	$6,200,000
2014	CLE	$3,700,000
2013	CLE	$750,000
2012	CLE	$701,900
2011	CLE	$416,600

Years	Description	Salary
13 yr	Previous	$115,943,500
2019	Current	$5,250,000
14 yr	Pvs + Cur	$121,193,500
14 yr	Total	$121,193,500

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
13 y 115 d	Octagon	1 year/$5.25M (2024)

Details

1 year/$5.25M (2024). Signed by Minnesota as a free agent 2/2/24. Performance bonuses: $125,000 each for 500, 550 plate appearances.
1 year/$6.725M (2023). Signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent 11/25/22. Acquired by Milwaukee in trade from Pittsburgh 7/27/23 with $2,386,290 remaining on contract.
2 years/$17.5M (2021-22). Signed by Kansas City as a free agent 12/8/20. 21:$7M, 22:$10.5M. 2021 performance bonuses: $25,000 each for 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525 plate appearances. 2022 performance bonuses: $75,000 each for 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525 PA. Award bonuses: $250,000 each for All-Star selection, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger. Acquired by Seattle in trade from Kansas City 6/27/22. As part of the deal, Mariners pay $1.5M of remaining 2022 salary of $5,769,231 and Royals pay the balance of $4,269,231.
3 years/$60M (2018-20). Signed by Philadelphia as a free agent 12/20/17. $10M signing bonus. 18:$15M, 19:$17M, 20:$17.5M, 21:$17.5M club option ($0.5M buyout). Acquired by Seattle in trade from Philadelphia 12/3/18. Acquired by Cleveland in trade from Seattle 12/13/18 (As part of the deal, Indians receive $6M from Mariners: $1M each May 1 and August 1, 2019 and $2M each May 1 and August 1, 2020.)
5 years/$21.0019M (2012-16), plus 2017 club option. Signed extension with Cleveland 4/10/12, replacing 1 year/$501,900 deal signed 3/3/12. $1M signing bonus. 12:$501,900, 13:$550,000, 14:$3.5M, 15:$6M, 16:$8.25M, 17:$12M club option, $1.2M buyout. Award bonuses. Cleveland exercised 2017 option 11/4/16.
1 year/$416,600 (2011). Re-signed by Cleveland 3/8/11.
1 year (2010). Re-signed by Cleveland 3/10/10. Optioned to Triple-A 3/19/10. Recalled 6/11/10.
1 year (2009). Contract purchased by Cleveland 11/20/08. Optioned to Double-A 3/19/09. Re-signed 3/10/09.
Acquired by Cleveland in trade from LA Dodgers 7/26/08 (Casey Blake deal).
Signed by LA Dodgers 2004 as an amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic. $75,000 signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	PA	H	2B	HR	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	VORP	FRAA
90^o	41	9	2	1	6	6	.257	.366	.400	129	2.4	1B 0
80^o	28	6	1	1	4	4	.261	.370	.435	123	1.4	1B 0
70^o	18	4	1	1	3	3	.267	.389	.533	120	0.8	1B 0
60^o	10	1	0	0	1	1	.125	.222	.125	116	0.4	1B 0
50^o	2	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	113	0.1	1B 0
Weighted Mean	3	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	114	0.1	1B 0

The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.

Not a subscriber? Click here for a free card so you can see what's missing.

Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

BP Annual Player Comments

The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.

Not a subscriber? Click here for a free card so you can see what's missing.

Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Carlos Santana

BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2015-02-26 20:00:00 (link to chat)	If Tomas continues bobbling balls at 3B, who would fill the hot corner, Lambâ€¦Druryâ€¦or ???? Who is the better 3B option, Lamb or Drury? (Silverback38 from VA)	Tomas at 3B is a pipe dream. Remember when Trumbo was gonna play 3B? Or Carlos Santana? It's not easy to just turn into a third baseman. Lamb is the guy in the short term, but Drury is the more exciting name. (Bret Sayre)
2015-03-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Which players are most likely to use a song from Kendrick Lamar's new album as their walk-up music? Drake's? (Jough Brasch from Denver)	Adam Eaton; Carlos Santana. (Sam Miller)
2015-03-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	If you hosted a tiki party, and you could pick an MLB player to drink cocktails out of coconuts with you, who would that be? And why? (Josh from The lonesome crowded west)	Adam Eaton; or Carlos Santana. (Sam Miller)
2014-10-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	If Kyle Schwarber is able to stick at catcher (seems like a big If), what's a reasonable timeline for him breaking into the majors? How much does Schwarber at catcher improve his value over say a LF? Love the chats, Wethy (Wethy from Chicago)	In the spectrum of "will Schwarber catch or not," I'm further to the side of "yes he will" than most. He's not a butcher back there, and there are worse defensive catchers in the majors right now. That said, I wouldn't want him back there every day for the sake of my pitching staff. He's not going to earn them a ton of extra strikes. If he can/does catch, it greatly increases his value over LF. It's not even close. It would, however, slow down his development. He'll need at least another full year of catching reps and I don't think the Cubs want to make him wait that long. He's not the same kind of impact hitter as many of the Cubs other hitting prospects, but he's a high floor guy that should be a big league regular even in LF and should be ready soon. If I had to wager, I'd bet he catches some in the majors, but never on a regular basis. He could be used the way the Indians used Carlos Santana the past few years where he caught once or twice a week and played the field the rest of the time. (Jeff Moore)
2014-05-02 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Still very early, but will the Ks (and full-breakout)come this year for Geritt Cole? (Shawn from Cubicle)	I think that his rapid ascension last year has thrown off some of the projections for Cole. The full breakout might take take a bit longer than what he teased at the end of 2013, but the skills are such that he could take another giant leap forward in short order. His usage of the CH and SINK have really gone down so far this year, so he might still be trying to get the feel for pre-set pronation on those pitches. Expect his K rate to rise when he begins to incorporate those pitches with greater frequency. On the jukebox: Carlos Santana, "Samba Pa Ti" (Doug Thorburn)
2014-05-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm trying to have patience with Homer Bailey but it is becoming tough. I recently acquired Julio Teheran and Jordan Zimmerman through trades hoping to use Bailey as trade bait to upgrade my 3B slot which Bogaerts currently occupies. What 3B would you target?...I'm in need of speed, runs and RBIs. (cruisinkc from Wisco)	Depends what you need, but I'd try something in the Matt Carpenter / Kyle Seager class. Bailey has been maddening, but the skills are still there. If you're shutout of anyone doing anything worth a lick right, go straight for the buy-low for buy-low move and ask for Carlos Santana or Brett Lawrie (Paul Sporer)
2014-03-19 20:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey Bret, I'm tempted to trade my best keeper (Carlos Santana at $9) for a package of Tommy Hunter ($1), George Springer ($5) and Carlos Correa ($2) in an AL Only dynasty league. Smart? (Brett G. from KC)	Not if you want to win. (Bret Sayre)
2014-03-19 20:00:00 (link to chat)	What do you think about Josh Donaldson this year? Are people underrating Carlos Santana a bit? (MickeyRivers from NY)	I think Donaldson, with the exception of a few points of batting average, is real and will continue his success into 2014. As far as Santana, I think he's being appropriately valued, as he's never quite put together the average and power. (Bret Sayre)
2014-03-14 09:00:00 (link to chat)	I’m in a weekly lineup league, and in the past, I’ve looked for a catcher who will play more frequently, since having your guy sit a couple times during the week is just lame. Do you think it’s worth grabbing a C who will actually be playing 1B and more frequently early in the draft? Or wait for a Lucroy, Rosario, or McCann who might sit more but can get at a better price? (Justin from Ill)	I'd rather just take the best player at the appropriate time. It seems that everyone is at this disadvantage, and getting the guy who plays 15-20 games here and there at other positions doesn't help THAT much. I have bumped up someone like Carlos Santana a $1-2 this year, so that's the appropriate draft adjustment...maybe a round higher, maybe just a few picks higher. Don't go crazy. (Mike Gianella)
2014-01-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I hate this 3B class but some catchers I like would it ever make sense to draft Carlos Santana and place him at 3rd assuming he v has the eligibility soon or is not using him at catcher just crazy (spartan from anytime usa)	I don't follow. Is Santana maybe moving to 3B? (Paul Sporer)
2014-01-06 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Are they really thinking about using Carlos Santana at 3B? Is there any possibility of this happening? (captnamerca from Dunedin, FL)	The Indians are playing it pretty close to the vest, but he has played a ton of 3B this winter and they have a need there. Of course Sal Perez has been playing a lot of 1B this winter too and he's not going anywhere. Sometimes these things just happen in winter ball, especially with catchers. Still, I'll be they take a look at him down there this spring. Not counting on a whole lot of starts there though. (Jeff Moore)
2014-01-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	In dynasty with no adds/drops in season, how willing would you be to forgoe backups to stash prospects? Say that Carlos Santana is your catcher and guys like Ianetta and Soto are available in the draft. Would you rather risk injury to Santana and be forced to get taken to the cleaners in trade than spend a spot on these bums vs. SP prospects like Stroman and Sanchez? (JoJo from SD)	I'd take the backup in this situation. (Craig Goldstein)
2013-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi Paul Sporer. I have Alex Avila in a super deep 22 team scoresheet league. According to Rod Allen he's now "cheesing like a chess cat", does that increase or decrease his value going forward? Thank you. (ChoppertoChipper from Edmonton)	It puts him juuuuuuust behind Posey and well ahead of Carlos Santana, who is apt to cheesing like a checkers cat far too often. (Paul Sporer)
2013-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	In a dynasty league in which I'm competing, but I'm weak at SP, I can trade 2 prospect picks, Gerrit Cole, & Brian McCann for Chris Sale and Alex Cobb. I'm leaning no because I lurve me some Cole. Still, I have Carlos Santana, and with Josh Johnson, Halladay, & Haren all disappointing, I could use the help (Rest of staff is Medlen, Moore, Gallardo, Wainwright, and CC). Should I pull the trigger? (Jim Clancy from Exhibition Stadium)	I love Cole, too, but if you're in contention to win this year, you do the deal. Prospect love kills folks in these leagues bc they get married to endless cycle of the future and then they want to compete now and have future assets. Just focus on now. I'd do the deal. (Paul Sporer)
2013-05-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Carlos Santana and Max Fried for Billy Hamilton and George Springer. Which side of the trade would you rather be on?? Thanks! (Josh from Boulder)	Carlos Santana and Fried. (Jason Cole)
2013-03-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)	thanks for the chat, do you think this is the year Carlos Santana breaks out and becomes the top catcher in baseball? (James from Portland)	Thanks for being a part of it, James. Your fine city needs to open its library on Mondays. Then again, Powell's makes up for a lot. As for Santana, I don't see him overtaking Buster Posey, but he's still a stud... much more useful to the Indians than Casey Blake, anyway. (Geoff Young)
2013-03-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Why do you think Carlos Santana struggled for so long last season? (Henry from bar)	I know it was his second year since his ACL tear, but I worry about any catcher with knee problems. The knees are involved in the early phases of swing mechanics, and a weak foundation can have a ripple effect on the rest of the swing sequence. It could be that he took longer than usual to find his physical peak, and it probably didn't help that the Indians rode him hard in April. Santana started 18 of the team's first 20 games, 17 of which were behind the plate (he had one start at DH, in game #4). The team mixed in more days at 1B and DH from that point forward, about 7-8 times per month from May through July, and then he was relieved of receiving duties for 25 of his last 54 games. Careful management of his workload behind the plate could be key to his offensive performance in 2013. On the jukebox: Guns and Roses, "Night Train" (Doug Thorburn)
2013-02-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I love using BP's Player Forecast Manager as a major tool during a draft. In your opinion give a couple of players that PECOTA is too Bullish on as well as too Bearish. (rupertoooo from Lorton, VA)	I like Aaron Hill, Maro Estrada, Doug Fister, and Carlos Santana a bit more. Not quite as high on Anthony Rizzo and I'm nervous about Mike Napoli's hips. Like Shakira's, they don't lie except unlike Shakira's, I don't like what they're saying. (Paul Sporer)
2013-01-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	14 team 5 x 5, re-draft league, but we can keep 4 players every year. I have Braun, Cano and McCutcheon. Who do you like as a 4th - Pedroia, C. Santana, Cain, Darvish, Sale, Bruce or Machado? If I could trade 2 of those for R. Zimmerman, is he a better 4th keeper? (stewbies from Rochester, NY)	I would not trade two of those players for Zimmerman. If the league is a two catcher format, I'd probably keep Carlos Santana. If it is a single catcher format and you can keep players forever without escalating cost, I'd give long hard thought to keeping Machado. You also couldn't go wrong with keeping Bruce. I love the pitchers, but I'd probably toss them back in the pool, and with the presence of Cano, Pedroia becomes expendable. (Josh Shepardson)
2012-12-27 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey Russell - what do you think Carlos Santana will do this year? Will he ever hit for better average or is he really just a .250/.360 type guy? Also, how about Jordan Zimmerman? Moving towards elite status or just a good #2 or #3 pitcher? (mtgannon from Dublin, OH)	Santana's got something that works. Why mess with a .360 OBP? It's OK to have a low batting average. On Zimmerman, I believe I will defer to the idea that if you have to ask the question about a guy being an ace/elite, then the answer is no. Really nice pitcher. And not being elite is not an insult. (Russell Carleton)
2012-10-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I am about to finish third in a league for the fourth year in a row, and my Achilles Heel has been catching. Can you give me some advice about the value of good catchers and any tips for 2013? (Rick from Sarasota, FL)	Wow, consistent run. I don't think there is an ideal strategy for drafting catchers. I've read many pundits say avoid paying top dollar, but I've had success doing so. I've also had success investing avoiding the top dollar guys. I tend to like catchers that might see time at other positions, and thus, receive more plate appearances than others (think Ryan Doumit, Carlos Santana, Joe Mauer, etc). I also like younger catchers with some breakout potential. (Josh Shepardson)
2012-06-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Profe, we all have a first, whether it's losing one's chicken-fried steak virginity or actual virginity. So: who was the first prospect you fell head over heels for? And what lessons did you learn from that initial dalliance? (sportspopery from nyc)	My heart skipped a beat when I saw Carlos Santana back in '07. He might not have been the first, but I remember watching him on the back fields during a FIL game and thinking that he was going to be a stud. That event poured gasoline on an already burning fire. (Jason Parks)
2012-06-13 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Starting Catcher A has a .907 OPS (playing in a pitcher's park), RF/9 and RF/G well above that of the league and has thrown out 40% of runners attempting to steal; thus, AJ Ellis is currently the best catcher in the NL, no? As an aside, there are currently SIX starting catchers with an OPS above .900 (and neither Joe Mauer nor Carlos Santana is one of them). What the heck is going on here? (Silv from NY, NY)	He's having a good season, to be sure, and while I doubt that he'll keep up his current pace PECOTA likes him a fair amount as a hitter. In terms of his caught stealing rate - I'm uncomfortable attributing all of that to him. There are certainly pitchers who are better or worse at holding runners on to begin with, and I think one of the woefully unexamined areas of baseball study is trying to untangle that interaction, rather than attributing the whole of it to the catcher. (Colin Wyers)
2012-03-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	To paraphrase Major League, "The Tribe ain't half bad." Do you agree with me that my beloved Indians are one power hitter away from a 90 win season? (Raj from South Bend)	I don't know what exactly the missing piece is, but they certainly feel close to doing something great. Hopefully Ubaldo will be able to get back to form in 2012 and Carlos Santana will come back healthy. If both of those happen - and it's not crazy to think so - they're already a long way there. I don't know if it's 90 games, but it's enough to get the Jake roaring. (Larry Granillo)
2012-02-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who would you rather have for 2012 -- Matt Wieters, Carlos Santana or Buster Posey? (lukejackson10 from Baltimore )	Assuming we're talking fantasy, I'd say Santana, who has demonstrated the most power as well as the versatility to stay in the lineup when he's not catching. I prefer Posey as a receiver if we're talking about real-world applications, though. (Jay Jaffe)
2012-02-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Carlos Santana: I just don't see it. Explain it to me like I'm a 6 year old. (chiefsalsa from Utah)	He's catcher eligible but will play more games than most catchers because he can also play 1B and DH, so he'll accrue more counting stats. He has great power for a catcher and has batting average upside. He's the rare catcher who will bat in the middle of the lineup (and a decent one at that). (Derek Carty)
2012-01-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Is it crazy to draft Carlos Santana in round 2-3? He gets more playing time than other catchers because he plays some 1B/DH for Cleveland. His AVG screams for a correction this year. Can easily do 30/100 if he continues his development. (PJ from Bronx)	Don't get me wrong, I like Santana, but that's definitely too early for him. You can say the same for Mike Napoli and he doesn't have to make good on upside... and I still wouldn't take Napoli that early. It's a bit more defensible in a deep two-catcher league, like an AL-only league, but I wouldn't jump the gun on him. (Derek Carty)
2012-01-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Thanks Derek. How much higher, if at all, is Carlos Santana's ceiling compared with Devin Mesoraco, considering offense and defense? (Keith from Manchester, CT)	It's definitely higher. Neither is Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate (neither is Mike Piazza either) and Santana's ceiling with the bat is much higher (not to say Mesoraco won't be good, though). Santana has the kind of elite catcher bat potential that would still play very well at another position. (Derek Carty)
2012-01-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Is keeping Salvador Perez for $5 at C worth pluging Carlos Santana in at 1B? (jaymoff from Salem, OR)	Same as Kendrick -- you're best dealing one of them. If you only have one catcher spot, then keep Santana and let Perez go. (Derek Carty)
2011-06-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who do you like going forward, in real life and/or Strat/Scoresheet-type games: Wieters or Carlos Santana? (Dan from Brooklyn)	Santana. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-05-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What is going on with Carlos Santana? (Bruce from toronto)	The natural reaction here is to cite Santana's low BABIP, but he is hitting a lot more groundballs this season. I don't know that putting the ball on the ground more helps a player of his skill set. Santana is also hitting more infield flies, so a portion of his balls in play are automatic outs. Given his history, I think he'll improve, but maybe not to the level he played at last season. (R.J. Anderson)
2011-05-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Any chance Carlos Santana gets sent down? (paulbellows from Calgary)	Guessing not. Santana is still outhitting the average catcher, even with his struggles. (R.J. Anderson)
2011-04-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How would you rank the following players based on future value as hitters (taking into account their position): Carlos Santana, Andrew McCutchen, Mike Stanton? (Dennis from LA)	Santana, Stanton, McCutchen (Jason Parks)
2011-04-12 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How would you rank the following players in terms of their future value as hitters: Carlos Santana, Mike Stanton, and Andrew McCutchen? (Dennis from LA)	For pure offensive value, I'll say Stanton, Santana, McCutchen. If positional adjustments come into play, Santana jumps to the front of the line. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-03-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	My Carlos Santana love is out of control ... in our 1-catcher keeper, should I rate him above McCann even? Is the 5th too early (there's no "keeper" penalty, just lose picks 1-5 for the up to 5 you keep)? (RC from (seriously now))	Hey, I love Santana too, but he's coming off a busted knee and has yet to play a full season. Meanwhile, McCann has been consistently great and is still only going to be 27 this year. I can't back Santana over McCann.. yet. (Mike Petriello)
2011-02-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Seems like dozens of guys coming back from serious injury: who ya got for full recoveries? (JD from OKC)	Pretty broad question. I know the guy I'm most hoping to see a full recovery from: Carlos Santana. Ask me about other specifics, and I'm happy to oblige. (Ken Funck)
2010-08-04 13:00:00 (link to chat)	If the Indians were able to procure some type of ace level starter for 2011. Would they be in the running for the division? I don't see anything wrong with the offense if healthy. (SaberTJ from Cleveland, OH)	I do. Other than Choo, Carlos Santana, and a comeback campaign for Grady Sizemore, there isn't a whole lot there. (Steven Goldman)
2010-07-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Dare I say it? Carlos Santana is the 2nd best offensive catcher in baseball behind Mauer, RIGHT NOW. (tommybones from brooklyn)	You know what? You could be right, although you might hurt Brian McCann's and Geovany Soto's feelings. (Ben Lindbergh)
2010-07-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)	So, Cleveland is going to give Carlos Santana a rest one of these days, right? (Patrick from MPLS)	You'd think so. Although it's possible that it's kind of like when a pitcher is throwing a perfect game, and no one wants to go near him. If he ever cools down, someone might carefully broach the subject of taking a break. (Ben Lindbergh)
2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Extremely unlikely that a Cleveland fan is going to take anyone up on that. They seem to relish their status as the most tortured sports city. And in a twisted way it, makes sense--if you can't be happy, at least try to claim you're tougher than anyone else. But how awesome is Carlos Santana and his .548 secondary average? (P from Cleveland)	I love Carlos Santana! I drafted Lou Marson and Santana in an AL-only league (AL catchers are horrific) and was very excited to finally ditch Lou. Santana's going to be special--hell, he already is. (Marc Normandin)
2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Should there be any concern that Cleveland is running Carlos Santana into the ground? He's played seventeen days in a row and counting with only one of those games at DH. My team would gladly trade a few off days for a rested, productive catcher. (P from mn)	That is worrisome, but let's see if it develops into a Russell Martin-esque trend before we panic too much. (Marc Normandin)
2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What star rating would you give Carlos Santana's fantasy value you this year? (SaberTJ from Cleveland, OH)	His power level is over 9000. (Marc Normandin)
2010-06-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who gets called up first: Carlos Santana or Pedro Alvarez? (Lane from Austin, TX)	Pedro Alvarez will be called up first, but I don't think Santana is that far behind. I wish Santana would get called up now so he could move from my bench and replace Lou Marson in my deep AL-only (just like real life!) (Marc Normandin)
2010-06-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	It sure would be nice to see Carlos Santana up on Sunday to face Strasburg. (SaberTJ from Cleveland, OH)	That would be excellent, for both my love of new talent and my AL-only team. (Marc Normandin)
2010-05-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Which of the following prospects will "miraculously" be deemed ready for the majors in a week or so: Carlos Santana, Pedro Alvarez, Stephen Strasburg, Buster Posey, Desmond Jennings? (tommybones from brooklyn)	Stephen Strasburg, for sure. (John Perrotto)
2010-05-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you expect Carlos Santana to be an immediate impact hitter or will he be a Wieters like work in progress? (Wedge from Sizemore's Bath House)	I think he'll be like Wieters. It's tough for catchers to immediately come up and rake because of all their other responsibilities. There have more adjustments to make and more they have to learn. (John Perrotto)
2010-04-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)	From a hitters standpoint, does Carlos Santana have the bat to be a perennial top 5 hitting catcher in baseball or even top 3? (Nick from Reno)	Yes; yes. (Kevin Goldstein)
2010-03-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Some forecasting systems, and some forecasters, see a potential for averageness out of the Tribe. What am I missing? (bigrick0016 from Cleveland)	Well, maybe Carmona's actually back - he's looked great this spring, and every inning he throws is one less that the poundable lefties who don't miss bats like Sowers, Laffey and Huff don't throw. Sizemore will be healthy, LaPorta will be around all year, Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin Soo Choo are for real, and Carlos Santana could be along this summer. That's a whole bag of interesting stuff there, and while there are no guarantees everything pans out, I'd at least buy a ticket to watch. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-02-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What do you think Pedro Alvarez ceiling is? (Will from WV)	Kevin Goldstein has him rated ahead of Desmond Jennings, Carlos Santana and Buster Posey. I think that is as good of an answer as is needed. (David Laurila)
2010-01-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	When do we see Carlos Santana? Will the hand injury be an issue? (John from PA)	My understanding is that he won't be ready for pitcher/catcher reporting time, but will be 100% at some point DURING spring training. I think he's a late-season call up and Opening Day catcher in 2011. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-12-11 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How much should we worry about Carlos Santana's injury? Does that delay his contention for the starting C gig on the lake? (Jim Clancy from Exhibition Stadium)	It COULD. My understanding is that common recovery time for the surgery he had matches up almost perfectly with when pitchers and catchers report, so any delay could mean a shorter spring for him. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-11-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who are some of the top prospects you like for next year? I'm guessing Strasburg and Heyward are givens. (Wendy from Madrid)	I'll be keeping my eye on Heyward, Posey, and Carlos Santana. Strasburg of course but it's unclear if he is a September callup or if he will be in uniform come June. (Eric Seidman)
2009-11-17 14:00:00 (link to chat)	How far behind Carlos Santana is Flowers? (bkmhoxx from KC)	Pretty darn far. If Santana was the kind of hitter he is and only played first base, he'd be a pretty special prospect, but he's a CATCHER. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-07-30 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What kind of package would Shapiro accept for Lee and or Martinez? I would think Martinez is much more expendable with Carlos Santana not far away. (SaberTJ from Cleveland, OH)	The Indians won't get as much for Martinez as they did Lee and I think Shapiro has been put in a spot by ownership where he HAS to trade Victor, regardless of what they're saying publicly. They're losing a lot of money from what I hear. (John Perrotto)
2009-07-30 14:00:00 (link to chat)	John, thanks for the chat. Maybe I am in the minority, but I don't see the Indians getting Marson or Donald as meeting a team need in the deal for Lee. Not sure if Marson >> Carlos Santana, and while Donald is a nice player, he is older than Valbuena and Cabrera. (Tim from DC)	Yeah, I'm not big on Donald or Marson either. I've only had limited looks at them in spring training but scouts I trust don't think they'll be impact guys in the majors. (John Perrotto)
2009-08-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Is Lou Marson highly-regarded enough to be flipped in 2010 when Carlos Santana is ready? I mean, there's no roster on Earth that needs this many catchers. I assume that was part of the thought process, and not that Marson is really going to keep Santana from getting the starting gig when he's ready ... please? (buffum from Austin TX)	Gads, I hope so. I sort of don't understand how readily it seemed that so many people inside the media or outside of it seemed to overlook that Marson's just not even close to being their best option when it comes to nominating a catcher of the future. It's sort of like preferring Andy Allanson to Sandy Alomar Jr. because he started his career 10-for-20, donchaknow. (A few decades ago, I knew such people.) (Christina Kahrl)
2009-07-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	BP fanatic here Does Carlos Santana project to be an All Star? ( nycfan from nyc)	Kevin Goldstein pegged him as a 5-star prospect heading into the season, so that's probably your answer right there. Taking a quick look at his current Double-A numbers, I see 15 home runs in 280 at bats and an OBP nudging .400. Pairing those with KGs rating, Santana sounds like a potential future All-Star to me. On a mostly unrelated note, Lastings Milledge was twice thrown out attempting to steal against Pawtucket's Mark Wagner this past weekend. Wagner is nowhere near the prospect Santana is, but he has thrown out a very high percentage of runners this year between AA and AAA. He has a nice future, at least as a defense-first backup. (David Laurila)
2009-06-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Well, last season we identified Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana. The difference between Mark DeRosa and Casey Blake is within an epsilon band, no? (If it would help, my guess is that the Indians would again pay DeRosa's salary for a better prospect as they did in that deal.) (buffum from Austin TX)	Ah, Ned Colletti. (Joe Sheehan)

BP Roundtables

Date	Roundtable Name	Comment
2009-10-15 17:00:00	2009 NLCS Game One (Phillies/Dodgers)	Blake had an excellent year. His defensive numbers were a plus on top of a solid performance with the stick. I hate the trade of Carlos Santana, but you can pencil me in for a .280/.363/.468 line from my third baseman any year and I'll take it. (Jay Jaffe)

Advanced Catching Metrics

Year	lvl	CSAA	Framing Runs	Blocking Chances	EPAA	Blocking Runs	SB Attempts	SRAA	TRAA	Throwing Runs	FRAA Adj.	FRAA
2007	afx	.000	0.0	3211	.002	-1.9	66	-.036	-.003	1.5	-0.9	-1.9
2008	aax	.000	0.0	51	.000	0.0	0	.000	-.004	0.0	1.2	0.0
2008	afa	.000	0.0	2990	.000	0.2	70	.016	-.001	-0.6	0.5	0.3
2009	aax	.000	0.0	4015	.000	0.3	70	.022	-.005	-0.5	-0.8	1.3
2010	mlb	-.004	-1.5	1658	.003	-1.3	31	-.027	.001	0.5	-2.9	-1.7
2010	aaa	.014	7.6	1947	.000	0.2	35	.013	-.003	-0.3	6.6	9.2
2011	mlb	-.032	-25.0	3579	.001	-0.9	65	.000	-.005	0.3	-25.8	-25.4
2012	mlb	-.025	-22.3	4262	.002	-2.2	83	-.018	.000	0.9	-24.1	-24.8
2013	mlb	-.011	-8.6	3896	.003	-3.0	46	.025	.004	-0.7	-11.4	-13.6
2014	mlb	-.036	-3.3	553	.003	-0.5	11	-.003	.002	0.0	-3.9	1.1

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC