The Milwaukee Brewers have not had a long-term answer at first base for over a decade. Since Prince Fielder left following the 2011 season, the Brewers have had 11 different Opening Day starters at the position. Eric Thames (2017 and 2019) and Rowdy Tellez (2022 and 2023) are the only players to have started two Opening Days at first base for the Brewers since Fielder started six in a row from 2006-2011.
In the 14 years that have passed since Fielder’s time with the Brewers came to an end, there have been some good individual seasons by players at the position, but none stuck around for very long. Chris Carter, for example, led the National League with 41 home runs when he started at first base for Milwaukee in 2016. Jesus Aguilar was an All-Star in 2018 and hit .274/.352/.539 with 35 home runs and 108 RBI.
Other times, though, the Brewers have found themselves underwhelmed by their first basemen in a given year. Such was the case in 2023 when Tellez struggled in the first half of the season. As a result, Milwaukee acquired Carlos Santana from the Pittsburgh Pirates via trade.
Carlos Santana Played Well for the Milwaukee Brewers
Tellez had a decent for the Brewers in 2022, his first year as their starting first baseman. That season, he hit just .219/.306/.461, but did have 35 home runs and 89 RBI. The following year, though, he struggled even more at the plate and his power numbers dipped.
In 105 games in 2023, Tellez hit a woeful .215/.291/.376 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. Due to his struggles, Milwaukee acquired Santana, who was struggling himself in Pittsburgh, at the trade deadline.
At the time of the trade, Santana was hitting .235/.321/.412 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI in 94 games. After being traded to the Brewers, however, he started hitting home runs with more regularity and saw his batting average rise.
In 52 games with Milwaukee, Santana hit .249/.314/.459 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI.
He ended the 2023 season with averages of .240/.318/.429 to go with 23 home runs and 86 RBI.
Former Milwaukee Brewers First Baseman Carlos Santana Has Signed with the Cleveland Guardians
Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Santana long had desired to be a part of the Brewers organization because of their recent winning culture. Unfortunately, Milwaukee decided to sign Rhys Hoskins in free agency last winter and did not bring him back for 2024.
Hoskins hit .214/.303/.419 with 26 home runs and 82 RBI in his first season with the Brewers. He also picked up his $18 million player option to return to Milwaukee in 2025.
Santana, meanwhile, signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins for the 2024 season. He hit .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs and 71 RBI and won the American League Gold Glove Award at first base.
Earlier today, it was reported that Santana is signing a one-year contract with the Cleveland Guardians, the team he began his Major League career with back in 2010:
First baseman Carlos Santana and the Cleveland Guardians are in agreement on a one-year, $12 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. The Guardians traded Josh Naylor, and now they bring the 38-year-old Santana back for his third stint with the organization.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 21, 2024
As Jeff Passan notes, this will be Santana’s third stint with Cleveland. He played for them from 2010-2017, hitting .249/.365/.445 during that time and averaged 22 home runs and 73 RBI per season.
In 2018, he signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies and hit .229/.352/.414 with 24 home runs and 86 RBI. That winter, the Phillies traded him to the Seattle Mariners, who traded him back to Cleveland 10 days later.
In 2019, the first year of his second stint with the Guardians, he hit .281/.397/.515 with 34 home runs and 93 RBI. He made his first and only career All-Star team that season and won his only career Silver Slugger.
After the 2020 season, Santana signed with the Kansas City Royals. Midway through the 2022 season, the Royals traded him back to the Mariners.
From 2020-2022, Santana hit just .217/.322/.378 and averaged 17 home runs and 61 RBI per season.
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