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‘Can’t be put into words’: Guardians reflect on Carlos Santana’s impact after his release
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- ‘Can’t be put into words’: Guardians reflect on Carlos Santana’s impact after his release
CLEVELAND — Professional baseball is a business, and that often dictates the paths teams take when it comes to roster decisions. Sometimes, there's also a dash of courtesy thrown into the pot as well.
The Guardians granted Carlos Santana his outright release on Aug. 28 in a roster move that is as close to a mutual handshake as possible.
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The Guardians placed Santana on waivers partly in an effort to clear the way for more playing time for younger players Kyle Manzardo and C.J. Kayfus over the final month of the regular season.
Santana, who turned 39 the day of Cleveland's home opener this season , hadn't produced like he or the team had hoped in 2025. Last year with the Minnesota Twins he won a Gold Glove at first base and had 49 extra-base hits in 150 games. With the Guardians, he handled first base defensively, but he couldn't replicate those power numbers, with only 22 extra-base hits in 116 games .
Any team could have claimed Santana, which would have transferred what's left of the one-year, $12 million deal he signed for the 2025 season . The other 29 clubs passed. In response, the Guardians agreed to release Santana to give him an opportunity to sign with another team before the Aug. 31 deadline to be eligible for the playoff roster (and for less money than while he was on waivers).
"Over the course of the last week, we had a lot of dialogue with Carlos about where we were as a team, what opportunities for him might look like for the balance of the season and what might be best for him and us moving forward," president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. "We made the joint decision that a release was best for him and for us."
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'It's a balance': Guardians explain decision to release Carlos Santana
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana fields a ground ball against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 25, 2025, in Cleveland.
With Santana struggling at the plate, it was no longer making sense to take away at-bats from Manzardo or Kayfus . A focus on the progression of some of the club's young hitters, as well as the team's standing in the playoff race — which has started to slip into long-shot territory — were the driving factors. The Guardians entered Aug. 29 at 66-66 and five games out of the final wild card spot in the American League.
"It's a balance of things," Antonetti said. "I think we've continued to play competitive baseball, and our hope is that we can continue to find a way to win games between now and the balance of the season. And in an ideal world we can do that with a young group of players that would not only help us win this year, but also give them some experiences and opportunities and position them better heading [into the future]."
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The Guardians appreciated Santana's veteran leadership, which held significance with such a young clubhouse. Jose Ramirez once jokingly referred to Santana as an "old man."
"I mean, it's obviously a tough day. What Carlos has meant to this organization and to our team can't be put into words," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "I've been around very few people that take better care of themselves than Carlos Santana. I've been around very few people who work as hard as he did, and it was really fun to get to know him and work with him."
Cleveland Guardians' Carlos Santana celebrates after scoring a run against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 1, 2025, in Cleveland.
Carlos Santana stats with Cleveland
Santana leaves a sizable legacy in Cleveland, where he totaled more than 1,200 hits and 227 home runs in 1,450 games across 11 different seasons. He has his name all over the Cleveland leaderboards , ranking second in franchise history with 993 walks, fifth in home runs and eighth in extra-base hits (524).
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And he's part of one of the biggest moments of Cleveland baseball history, catching the foul ball that sent Cleveland to the World Series in 2016. The image of Santana celebrating that play remains a featured snapshot at Progressive Field.
"I mean, he's probably going to be in the Cleveland Hall of Fame in a few years," Vogt said. "Three different stints here, playing on a World Series team, coming back. He always calls this home. And even throughout this process, he just was super grateful and thankful and referred to the people here in Cleveland as his family, and just what he's taught our young guys as well, it's invaluable."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians' decision to release Carlos Santana a move of mutual respect
