The Los Angeles Dodgers need a backup plan in case Teoscar Hernández doesn’t re-sign with the defending World Series champions.
Baltimore gambled eight years ago when they took outfielder Anthony Santander. It paid off big time, and he has now been linked to the Dodgers as their potential Plan B.
“Santander, who ranked third in the majors with 44 home runs last season, is believed to be looking for a five-year deal, likely in the $100 million range,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported. “The Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays – who all missed out on Soto when he signed with the Mets – are interested in Santander. Other teams to watch include the Dodgers, Tigers and Nationals.”
Santander took some time to develop into a consistent big-league hitter, showing glimpses of his power potential in 2019 with 20 home runs over 93 games as a 24-year-old. His true breakout came in 2022, when he smashed 33 home runs across 152 games. That season kicked off a three-year stretch during which he hit 105 homers while maintaining impressive durability, appearing in over 150 games each year.
The 2024 season marked a career year for him, as he ranked third in the big leagues with 44 home runs and surpassed 100 RBIs for the first time.
The timing couldn’t have been better for the 30-year-old, who earned his first All-Star selection just months before entering free agency, where he’s poised to secure a lucrative contract this offseason.
Feinsand mentioned the Dodgers and Santander in the same paragraph as far back as November when he said that Los Angeles was “among teams pursuing Juan Soto, but Teoscar Hernández would appear to be the team’s Plan B. Should Hernández sign elsewhere, however, Santander would be an ideal candidate to slot into right field.”
Contract projections for the Dodgers star are comparable to those for Santander, with an expected annual value in the $20-23 million range. However, his projected deals are shorter in length, given that he is two years older than Santander.
Averaging 32 home runs over a 162-game season, Hernández offers more than just raw power. This past year, he posted a .272 batting average with a .339 on-base percentage, along with 32 doubles, two triples, 99 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases, matching his career-high.
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The key reason why Anthony Santander remains unsigned
The MLB hot stove is firing after the big Cody Bellinger trade on Tuesday.
But there are still big names available in free agency, including former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander. After a career year with over 40 home runs, he is trying to cash in this winter. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal gave three key reasons why Santander has not signed a deal. “His career .307 on-base percentage. His sprint speed, which last season ranked in the bottom 18 percent of the league,” Rosenthal wrote. “And his poor defensive metrics, even though Orioles manager Brandon Hyde last season praised his work in right field.” Rosenthal continued by comparing Santander to fellow corner outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who also remains unsigned.
“[Hernandez’s] .320 career OBP is slightly higher. His defense, though hardly Gold Glove caliber, is slightly better, at least when he is in right instead of left field. And his sprint speed last season ranked in the 83rd percentile.” Rosenthal added that Santander is seeking a longer deal than Hernandez but his defensive problems could cause a shorter deal. The Orioles were set to spend in free agency but have not added much to this point. While they should bring Santander back, the lack of rumors surrounding the All-Star should scare Orioles fans. Could Anthony Santander be back on the Orioles? Just before last season started, the Orioles ownership changed. Out went the Angelos family and in came minority owner David Rubenstein and the majority owner.
The hope was that they would spend more money in free agency and secure a long-term plan to stay in the Charm City. Signing Santander would be the first step in showing the fans that reality. The Orioles also have a massive hole in their starting rotation. They traded for Corbin Burnes last year to fill it and it worked perfectly. He started the All-Star Game and finished second in AL Cy Young voting. But now he is testing free agency and may leave the Orioles.
The delay here may be about the Orioles choosing between Santander and Burnes. If Santander leaves the Orioles, the Minnesota Twins should throw their hats in the ring. They need home run power in their lineup to surround Carlos Correa and Santander brings that. The Seattle Mariners also need pop but they have a full outfield. That move could land Santander in a DH role, but they might be more interested in Pete Alonso.
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College Football
Michael Vick lands college football head-coaching job
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick wanted a college head-coaching job, and he has landed one. Vick reportedly agreed to terms to become the head coach of Norfolk State on Tuesday, getting his first major head-coaching job. According to the Virginian-Pilot, an introductory news conference is scheduled for some time this week. Vick was also connected to the Sacramento State job in recent weeks. He will be taking over an FCS program that went 15-31 over the past four seasons under previous head coach Dawson Odums. It is something of a homecoming for Vick who played his high school and college football in Virginia (Virginia Tech) and was a superstar before entering the 2001 draft when he was the No. 1 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons. Vick was one of the most electrifying players in the NFL before his career was derailed by a dogfighting scandal that sent him to prison and took him away from the NFL for two years.
After serving his time, he returned to the NFL and spent seven years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. Now he is taking over an FCS program in need of a jumpstart and a spark. Vick’s coaching experience is limited at this point, so there is some question as to how this will work out. He spent time as a coaching intern with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, and also served as an offensive coordinator for Atlanta Legends in the Alliance of American Football. There is some recent precedent for former NFL players taking college head-coaching jobs without much experience.
Deion Sanders is the most prominent example, getting hired as the head coach of Jackson State in 2020 after only coaching in high school. He immediately turned the program into an FCS power, and then landed a job with Colorado. In just two years, he turned the Buffaloes into a Top 25 team and playoff contender.
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College Football
Paul Finebaum Names Prominent SEC Coach Who Has His ‘Eye On’ Other Jobs
The 2024 college football regular season is over, and now teams are preparing for the postseason and offseason. That starts with the transfer portal, which is currently open. Various factors can affect the transfer portal, particularly coaching changes. When a coach opts to leave for another position, it can lead to numerous players entering the portal. The Ole Miss Rebels are one team hoping to avoid this situation soon.
Lane Kiffin, the Rebels’ head coach, has been linked to various job opportunities, particularly the position at Florida. On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum talked about Kiffin’s prospects at Ole Miss, mentioning that he thinks Kiffin is interested in a few positions that may soon become available. “I think he’s there now,” Finebaum said. “I think there’s a couple of jobs out there that he probably has his eye on. I think he had his eye on the Florida job, which never opened. There’s another job in the SEC that I bet he’s watching closely.
That’s Lane Kiffin; you know what you’re going to get.” Kiffin has achieved a 43-18 record in his five seasons at Ole Miss. This includes a record-setting 11-win season last year, the highest in the program’s history. He is just two wins away from surpassing David Cutcliffe as the third-winningest coach in Ole Miss history. A bowl win this season would allow him to tie Cutcliffe. The SEC job Finebaum mentions remains unknown. It might refer to the head coaching role at Florida, should Billy Napier be dismissed next season. Alternatively, it could relate to the Oklahoma Sooners’ head coaching position if Brent Venables were to be terminated. Venables has recorded two seasons at .500 or worse in his three years at Oklahoma. As for Kiffin, it’s likely another distraction as his team prepares for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Duke Blue Devils (9-3) on Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Paul Finebaum Names CFP Team with No Chance at a National Championship
The 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off this weekend, with the first-round games beginning on Friday. Meanwhile, four teams will have to wait to find out their opponents for the quarterfinals, having earned byes for winning their respective conferences. One of those teams is the No. 3 Boise State Broncos (12-1), which won the Mountain West and is the third-highest-ranked conference champion. The Broncos will await the winner of the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2) and the SMU Mustangs (11-2).
The Broncos are enjoying an outstanding season under the leadership of head coach Spencer Danielson and running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty secured the second spot for the Heisman Trophy after amassing 2,497 rushing yards and scoring 29 touchdowns. He is only 132 yards shy of eclipsing Oklahoma State Cowboys’ Barry Sanders’ all-time single-season yardage record. Despite a strong season, Paul Finebaum stated on “The Paul Finebaum Show” that Boise State has no chance of winning a national championship. “Boise State’s got a really good team, but they’re small,” Finebaum said. “There is no way that they could deal with the best of this bracket.” ESPN’s Football Power Index aligns closely with Finebaum’s views, offering the Broncos a 1.8% chance of winning the national championship. This figure, tied with the Arizona State Sun Devils, is higher only than that of the No. 12 ranked Clemson Tigers (10-3) among playoff teams. Nevertheless, the FPI places Boise State at No. 25 in the country, marking it the lowest rank of any playoff contender. This season, the Broncos faced one playoff contender when they took on the No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) on the road. The game ended in a close 37-34 loss for the Broncos. Jeanty impressively rushed for 192 yards and scored three touchdowns. Notably, the Broncos outgained the Ducks, recording 369 yards compared to Oregon’s 352, forcing two turnovers. However, special teams proved crucial; in the fourth quarter, Oregon tied the game at 34 with a touchdown on a 100-yard kickoff return. Subsequently, they secured the victory with a 25-yard field goal as time expired. Earlier in the game, Oregon also scored on an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. This week, Boise State will take a break before gearing up for its first playoff game on December 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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