Pittsburgh Pirates: Looking at Carlos Santana’s Career So Far

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a splashy move on Friday by acquiring a proven first baseman.  So what has he done up until this point of his career?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the more active teams this off-season.  The Front Office is clearly trying to put a better product on the field for 2023.  After another 100-loss season, this is very refreshing to see.

In 2023 the biggest hole in the lineup was at the first base position.  This obviously is not ideal for a lineup, as the first base position is traditionally known for offense. According to Baseball Reference, the Bucs ranked dead last at the first base position in terms of WAR at -4.0.

So the team has been aggressive to make the position better.  The first move was a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Ji-Man Choi, a left-handed hitter, in exchange for minor league pitcher Jack Hartman.  The next move the Bucs made was claiming Lewin Diaz off of wavers.

Diaz, a right-handed first baseman, was claimed from the Miami Marlins.  Diaz has always produced good numbers with the bat in the minors, but that has not translated to the Big Leagues.  His defensive abilities have, however.  He accounted for an above-average UZR/150 and also for 5 defensive runs saved.  At the very least he will be a defensive upgrade at the position.

Now the Bucs have signed another first-base candidate in Carlos Santana.  Santana represents the biggest free agent contract that the current Front Office has handed out. The Bucs gave the 36-year-old $6.7 million on a 1-year deal.  Let’s take a look at what the veteran has done so far in his career: