Guardians' Carlos Santana Reportedly Placed on Outright Waivers Amid MLB Playoff Race

Veteran first baseman Carlos Santana's third stint with the Cleveland Guardians appears to be ending after less than a year.

Per The Athletic's Zack Meisel and Ken Rosenthal, the Guardians placed Santana on outright waivers on Tuesday.

A 16-year veteran, Santana began his MLB career with the Cleveland franchise in 2010. After departing following the 2017 campaign, he returned for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, earning his lone career All-Star appearance in the former. He signed a one-year deal with the Guardians in December, returning to where it all began.

Players placed on outright waivers can be claimed within 48 hours, with teams that have the worst records getting the top priority. Any team that lands him after submitting a claim will be responsible for the $2 million remaining on his contract. If Santana goes unclaimed, the Guardians could hold onto him or cut him from the roster.

Across 116 games, Santana is hitting .225 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI this season. Meisel and Rosenthal noted that he recently lost playing time to first basemen Kyle Manzardo and C.J. Kayfus.

At 64-66, the Guardians rank third in the AL Central and sit six games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final wild-card spot in the American League. Cleveland has lost six straight games and nine of its last 10 outings.

The Guardians will try to get back on track when they meet the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday evening.