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KC Royals: Five reasons why signing Carlos Santana was a good move

By Leigh Oleszczak

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 28: Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Indians hits a two run homer during the first inning of game 2 of a double header against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on July 28, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 28: Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Indians hits a two run homer during the first inning of game 2 of a double header against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on July 28, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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KC Royals: Five reasons why signing Carlos Santana was a good move
Nick Pratto #88 of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Gives Pratto more time

Finding a permanent first baseman has been difficult since Eric Hosmer left in free agency following the 2017 season. The Royals selected Nick Pratto with the No. 14 pick in 2017 in the hopes he’d be the next Hosmer, but Pratto has struggled in the minors to this point.

With O’Hearn not hitting well, the Royals moved Hunter Dozier to first base, but then it became evident he’d be a third baseman when Maikel Franco wasn’t retained. Santana’s two-year deal should give Pratto plenty of time to figure things out in the minor leagues and he hopefully won’t feel as pressured to turn things around.

The ideal situation here is that Pratto gets called up at the end of the 2022 season where Santana can give him some pointers in the final year of his deal and the transition can begin from there.

2019 numbers

Carlos Santana didn’t put up great numbers in 2020, but he was an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2019. That season saw Santana slash .281/.397/.515 while blasting 34 home runs and plating 93 RBI in 686 plate appearances. The Royals would obviously gladly take those numbers.

Fans’ opinions on this signing likely come down to if they think the Royals will get the 2019 Santana or the 2020 Santana and that’s fair. His 2020 numbers weren’t good, but it was a weird season and he’s still just one year removed from the best season he had as a pro.

Next. 10 Free Agents Who Make Sense in KC. dark

How do you feel about this contract, Royals fans? Do you think Carlos Santana will be a good player for this team in 2021 and 2022 or will the Royals end up regretting this deal?

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