Guardians release veteran 1B Carlos Santana

Field Level Media|published: Thu 28th August, 15:27 2025

Jul 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana (41) throws to first base during the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians released veteran first baseman Carlos Santana on Thursday, ending his third tenure with the club.

Santana, 39, is having the least productive season of his career, with a .225/.316/.333 slash line through 116 games. His .650 OPS is the lowest of his career.

The 2019 All-Star had seen his playing time drop with the emergence of Kyle Manzardo and rookie C.J. Kayfus, who both came through the Cleveland system as first basemen.

Santana has played 16 major league seasons with Cleveland (2010-17, 2019-20, 2025), Philadelphia (2018), Kansas City (2021-22), Seattle (2022), Pittsburgh (2023), Milwaukee (2023) and Minnesota (2024).

He is a career .241 hitter with 335 home runs and 1,134 RBIs. His 227 homers with Cleveland rank fifth in franchise history and his 933 walks trail only Jim Thome's 1,008.

The Guardians placed Santana on outright waivers Tuesday. Because he went unclaimed, Cleveland will owe him the remaining $2 million on his contract and he is free to sign with any team.

The Guardians also activated utility player Daniel Schneemann, 28, from the paternity list on Thursday. He is hitting .225 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in 106 games this season.

--Field Level Media

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