The Cleveland Guardians have been through a rough 2025 season so far. From the trade rumors surrounding Steven Kwan to the gambling investigations into Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, it hasn’t been easy to be a Guardians fan.
After making a strong postseason run in 2024, the Guardians in 2025 have been a major letdown. Near the end of August, the Guardians made an announcement that further made this season a disappointing one.
The team officially announced that longtime Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana was released, and Daniel Schneemann was activated from the paternity list.
Santana is Officially Off the Guardians’ Roster
It was previously reported that Santana was on outright waivers, with a chance for other teams to put in a claim for him, or let him pass and return to the Guardians, who then could release him or bring him back to their minor league affiliate.
We have made the following move today.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/OOPIT2C4in
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 28, 2025
Instead of bringing Santana back, they officially released him, cutting ties with the 16-year MLB veteran amid his 11th season with the Guardians.
In his 116 games with Cleveland in 2025, he had a .225 batting average with a .316 on-base percentage and a .33 slugging percentage. His .650 OPS was the worst mark of his career, while his 81 OPS+ was tied with his 2021 season for his worst in his career.
The Gold Glove, All-Star, and Silver Slugger first baseman had been with the Guardians multiple times throughout his career. After 1,116 games from 2010 to 2017, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies for one season before returning to Cleveland in 2019.
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That season was his best in the Majors, as he was an All-Star, earned a Silver Slugger Award, and was 16th in MVP voting thanks to his .911 OPS and 34 home runs in 158 games.
Santana has 1,878 hits in his career with 403 doubles, 335 home runs, and 1,134 RBIs. 1,286 hits, 283 doubles, 227 home runs, and 762 RBIs came with the Guardians, by far the team he played the most with in his career.
While the Baseball Hall of Fame might be a long shot, if this is it for Santana’s career, the 39-year-old put together a remarkable stint in the Majors. His 39.5 WAR is a strong mark, and he’s more than deserving of his flowers, regardless of whether he makes the Hall of Fame or not.
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