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The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with veteran first baseman Carlos Santana, reports The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.
It’s a one-year deal worth $2 million, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro adds.
Arizona had been in the market for a first baseman who could hit left-handed pitching, potentially to platoon with Pavin Smith. First baseman Tyler Locklear, a right-handed hitter acquired for Eugenio Suarez last summer, underwent elbow and shoulder surgeries this offseason and is uncertain for the start of the season.
The club had been linked to franchise legend Paul Goldschmidt for that reason but went in a different direction.
Gambadoro reported that the Diamondbacks were interested in Santana for his clubhouse leadership and defense.
Santana has 16 years of MLB experience, having debuted in 2010 and spending last season with the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs. He made his lone All-Star team in 2019 and won a Gold Glove for his first base defense in 2024.
The switch-hitter is coming off a down year offensively but maintained a high level with his glove. He finished with 12 defensive runs saved (second in MLB) and eight outs above average (third).
After catching early in his career, Santana has become a particularly stout defensive first baseman over the past three years.
At the plate, Santana delivered a strong 2024 campaign for Minnesota with a .749 OPS, 23 home runs and 26 doubles. Those numbers dropped last year to a .633 OPS and 11 home runs. After a red-hot May, his numbers tanked.
He managed to perform better against lefties than righties, with a .664 OPS versus a .619 clip. His career numbers have fared better when hitting from the right side, where he has a faster swing that generates more contact, per Statcast.
Despite the struggles, he still worked better-than-average walk and strikeout rates, as he showed good plate discipline and put the ball in play.
In terms of experience, Santana ranks second in MLB among active players in games played with 2,204. Only Andrew McCutchen has participated in more.
He is sixth among active leaders with 404 doubles, right behind new teammate Nolan Arenado’s 405.
Santana also has 335 career home runs and could become only the seventh switch-hitter in MLB history with 350 home runs and 400 doubles in a career. Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran was the last player to accomplish it.
Makena Jordan, a junior at Barry Goldwater High School, is the winner of the 2026 Arizona Sports Character Counts scholarship, presented by Parker & Sons.
She was chosen as the winner on Monday, as 10 finalists gathered at Chase Field to celebrate their accomplishments that go beyond the high school fields and courts. Jordan and the other finalists were joined by Ron Wolfley, from Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke, as well as sports anchor Jody Jackson and former NFL player Lorenzo Alexander.
All of the candidates for the $10,000 scholarship were considered because of their selfless impact on their schools and communities.
An aspiring surgeon, Jordan’s experience after suffering from a MRSA infection as a child led her to find ways to help others.
“It isn’t just about prescribing medications but how you can emotionally connect with your patients,” Jordan said. “And I knew I wanted to be that person for someone else.”
She has organized volunteer events for families at Phoenix Children’s and Ronald McDonald House Charities. For Phoenix Children’s, she led a program to provide home-cooked meals and treats for more than 150 families at the hospital.
Jordan was one of 20 students from Arizona to join the TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy. Under the mentorship of a doctor, she helped research pancreatic cancer.
Jordan holds a 4.87 GPA and has also volunteered for “Girls on the Run” and has been captain of her varsity soccer team.
“I’ve always had a calling for healthcare and activity from a very young age,” Jordan said. “I want to be the person that gives people their freedom back.”
After 27 days of searching, the Arizona Cardinals came to an agreement with Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to be their next head coach on Sunday.
With the most important decision of Arizona’s offseason made, the Cardinals’ focus shifts to the plethora of needs regarding the current roster.
In a two-round mock draft by ESPN’s Matt Miller, Arizona is projected to prioritize the offensive line and wide receiving corps by selecting Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 3 overall and Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard at No. 34.
The Cardinals are widely expected to take an offensive lineman with their first-round selection, and Miller is the latest draft analyst to predict the team will go after Mauigoa with the third pick.
The consensus All-American has been viewed as arguably the top offensive tackle prospect in the class alongside Utah’s Spencer Fano. Coming off a season where Arizona’s offensive line was ranked as the seventh-worst in the league by Pro Football Focus, Mauigoa slots in at a position of dire need.
Mauigoa to the Cardinals is one of the most seamless fits in the first round. Arizona must shore up the offensive line and needs a long-term starter at right tackle opposite Paris Johnson Jr. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Mauigoa was a three-year starter at Miami and allowed only two sacks in 16 games during Hurricanes’ run to the national title game last season. The Cardinals are desperate for that type of consistency, with 36-year-old Kevin Beachum starting 11 games in 2025 and no long-term answer on the roster.
Bernard, however, is a new name being linked to the Cardinals. The Alabama wideout has been largely projected to be a Day 2 pick (rounds 2-3) after recording 114 receptions, 1,656 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons with the Crimson Tide.
The mock draft sees Bernard as the seventh wide receiver taken in the draft, but the first one selected in the second round.
Miller shows concern about the depth at the position considering Greg Dortch and Zay Jones are both slated to become unrestricted free agents and says Marvin Harrison Jr.’s tenure in Arizona hasn’t “quite gone to plan.” Adding Bernard alongside Harrison and Michael Wilson tightens up the supporting cast for whomever is under center for the Cardinals next season.
Bernard has elite ability to make plays after the catch and is a dynamic player who is capable of lining up all over the alignment — including the backfield, in the slot and at X receiver.
Miller foresees three prospects from Arizona State being selected by the end of the second round, a feat that the program hasn’t seen since 1992.
Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is projected to go No. 14 overall to the Baltimore Ravens as the second wideout off the board after Ohio State’s Carnell Tate.
The following round, Max Iheanachor lands with the Detroit Lions at No. 50 after an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl. Defensive back Keith Abney goes the very next pick at No. 51 to the Carolina Panthers.
