The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed veteran first baseman Santana to a one-year contract.

As reported by MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert on February 4 local time, the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with veteran first baseman Carlos Santana, with the team not having formally announced it yet.

The switch-hitting batter will join the Diamondbacks to strengthen the first base depth they have been seeking this offseason and will complement left-handed hitter Pavin Smith.

Santana has played 16 seasons in the major leagues and brings extensive postseason experience. He is a former All-Star and Gold Glove winner, currently leading all active players with 1,330 walks, holds a career on-base percentage of .352, and maintains an OPS+ (112) consistently above league average.

Turning 40 on April 8, Santana’s performance last season fell well below the standards set by his lengthy career. He played 124 games split between the Cleveland Guardians (his third stint with Cleveland) and the Chicago Cubs, posting a batting line of only .219/.308/.325, hitting 11 home runs, and recording a career-low OPS+ of 77.

Since Santana received a qualifying offer from the Cleveland Guardians in 2017, he is no longer eligible for qualifying offers this offseason, meaning signing him does not require draft pick compensation or penalties.

Santana’s offensive decline in the 2025 season can be partly attributed to his hard-hit rate dropping to 37.8%, his third-lowest ever, while his strikeout rate rose to a career-high 19.2%. Additionally, his chase rate reached a career peak at 24.8%, and his contact rate on those chase pitches fell to a career low of 52.6%. These factors combined led to insufficient offensive production, resulting in the Guardians releasing him on August 28, after which he signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent on September 1.

Despite struggles, Santana still showed flashes of his former hitting prowess last season. He recorded 28 batted balls with exit velocities over 105.1 mph, batting an impressive .607 on those hits, including a season-high 113.2 mph single against the Boston Red Sox on April 27. He had 21 multi-hit games and two three-hit games while with the Guardians. Notably, he maintained an excellent walk rate of 11%, ranking in the 80th percentile across MLB.

Although Santana faced offensive challenges in 2025, he remained an elite defender at first base. His Outs Above Average (OAA) was 8, ranking third among all MLB first basemen, and his defensive runs saved (6) also placed him third at the position.