Chicago. – Dominican veteran first baseman Carlos Santana, 39, will reinforce the offense of the Chicago Cubs after being released by the Cleveland Guardians at the end of August, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The club has not yet officially confirmed the move.
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Santana, who signed with Cleveland in December for one year, had an offensive line of “.225/.316/.335” in the 2025 season, losing prominence during the month of August until being released on the 28th. The Cubs have found in Michael Busch a great power from the start (26 home runs, second in the National League among first basemen), but his low average against left-handed pitchers (.195 with an OPS of .561 and only two home runs) opened the door for Santana’s arrival. The switch-hitter has an OPS of .681 against lefties this year, well below the .934 he achieved in 2024 with Minnesota, but maintains a solid average of .819 OPS against lefties in his 16-year career. Beyond his offensive contribution, Santana also offers defensive value. The first baseman won his first Gold Glove in 2024 and this season is in the 95th percentile in Outs Above Average, becoming a useful piece in the final innings. If the signing materializes, Santana would play for his third team in the Central Division of the National League in three seasons, after playing in 2023 for the Pirates and Brewers, with whom he helped reach the postseason by hitting 11 home runs in just 52 games. The Dominican, in addition, leads all active players in walks received (1,330) and is the third first baseman with the most home runs in active play (335), only behind Paul Goldschmidt (372) and Freddie Freeman (361).
