Arrieta: Phillies' clubhouse culture improved after Santana trade

Carlos Santana was unceremoniously shipped out of town one season into his lucrative contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, and it seems no one was more eager to see him go than Jake Arrieta.

"Well, the culture was better here this year without (Santana), I can tell you that," Arrieta told Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Santana - now back with the Cleveland Indians - revealed during spring training that he smashed a television in the Phillies' clubhouse after finding teammates playing Fortnite during a game in September.

When asked why the culture improved without the first baseman, Arrieta replied: "We had better guys in the clubhouse. That's it. A lot more veteran presence."

Santana was traded to the Seattle Mariners last December, mere months after agreeing to a three-year, $60-million deal with the Phillies. Days later, the former All-Star was flipped to the Indians, with whom he spent the first eight years of his career.

He saw a resurgence in 158 games with Cleveland this season, slashing .281/.397/.515, tying his career high with 34 home runs while going 4-for-4 in stolen-base opportunities.

The Phillies, meanwhile, underwent a transformative offseason, adding Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Jean Segura, and David Robertson. Despite the front office's efforts, Philadelphia still finished .500 and out of playoff contention.