Indians, Domingo Santana agree to deal
The Cleveland Indians agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent outfielder Domingo Santana, the team announced Friday. Santana will earn $1.5 million in 2020, a source told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The deal reportedly includes an additional $500,000 in roster bonuses and a $5-million club option for 2021 with a $250,000 buyout. The club option would go up if Santana earns his roster bonuses, so he could end up with a two-year, $7.5-million contract, Rosenthal added.
The 27-year-old Dominican appeared in 121 games for the Seattle Mariners last season, hitting .253/.329/.441 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs. He was non-tendered by the Mariners in December.
Before struggling in the second half, Santana got off to a blistering start in 2019, driving in 63 runs before the All-Star break. He slashed just .128/.234/.234 with three home runs and six RBIs the rest of the way.
Santana also ranked among the poorest defenders in baseball last season, recording minus-17 defensive runs saved and a minus-16.1 ultimate zone rating, according to FanGraphs.