PHILADELPHIA (AP) — First baseman Carlos Santana became the first of the offseason’s big-name free agents to find a new home, agreeing Friday to a $60 million, three-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to two people familiar with the deal.
The people spoke Friday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is contingent on Santana passing a physical.
Santana became the first to reach a deal among the nine free agents who last month rejected $17.4 million qualifying offers from their former teams.
Philadelphia also traded shortstop Freddy Galvis to San Diego for minor league pitcher Enyel De Los Santos, and finalized two-year deals with relievers Tommy Hunter ($18 million) and Pat Neshek ($16.5 million).
The 31-year-old Santana hit 23 home runs with 79 RBIs for Clevelandk, where he spent all eight of his big league seasons. He started as a catcher in 2010 and shifted to first base in 2015.
Santana, who has a .249 career batting average and .445 slugging percentage, is expected to play first base in Philadelphia. Slugger Rhys Hoskins would stay in left field, giving the Phillies a surplus of outfielders to use as trade bait for starting pitching.
Galvis was a finalist for a Gold Glove the past two seasons and hit a career-best 20 homers in 2016. He was the longest-tenured Phillies player. J.P. Crawford, a first-round pick in the 2013 amateur draft, will take over at shortstop.
Hunter was 3-5 with one save and a 2.61 ERA in 61 appearances last season for Tampa Bay, striking out 64 in 58 2/3 innings and holding opponents to a .202 batting average. Neshek was an All-Star for the Phillies this year before he was traded to Colorado. He went 5-3 with one save and a 1.59 ERA in 71 for the Phillies and Rockies.
Despite finishing last in the NL East at 66-96, the Phillies improved in the second half as young players like Hoskins, Crawford, Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro joined the lineup. Santana gives the team a power hitter to protect Hoskins. Maikel Franco led the Phillies with 24 homers last season and Hoskins hit 18 in only 50 games.
Santana’s departure is a big loss for Cleveland, which led the AL with 102 wins during the regular season but lost to the New York Yankees in a Division Series.
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