Santander still ignoring trade speculation

The chatter starts again, which requires Anthony Santander to tune out. Just ignore it. Can’t control it and won’t let it distract.

The trade deadline arrives on Aug. 2, a few days later than usual. Deals can be consummated at any time leading to it, and Santander remains one of the Orioles’ most attractive chips.

A hamstring injury lessened his value last summer. Santander struggled with it and his numbers suffered. But teams checked on his availability during the winter, with the Marlins one of the most interested.

Santander is healthy in 2022 and leading the Orioles in home runs with 15, five short of his career high in 2019. His 31 walks are the most in his career. The .325 on-base percentage is the highest.

The speculation that he could be traded will peak, as well.

Outfielder Kyle Stowers is one of the top prospects in the organization and already made his major league debut in Toronto, after the Orioles placed Santander and reliever Keegan Akin on the restricted list due to their vaccination status. A spot must be created for him at some point this summer.

Yusniel Diaz is healthy again and also playing at Triple-A Norfolk. He’s batting .264/.349/.444 with four doubles and three home runs in 20 games with the Tides.

Being under team control beyond 2022 also is an attractive quality with Santander. He’s making $3.1 million this year and approaching his third year of arbitration eligibility.

Santander can say a lot just with his expression and a wave of his hand – his reaction yesterday when asked about the trade chatter. He tilted back his head, smiled, and motioned as if dismissing it playfully.

“I’m just relaxed, just focusing on my day-to-day process,” he said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “That’s a decision that comes from the people up above. Nothing that I can control.”

Santander, who reached last night on his first career bunt single and added a run-scoring single, has been in the organization since the Orioles took him in the 2016 Rule 5 draft. His shoulder surgery didn’t dissuade them from making the selection.

He’d like to stay, but he won’t worry about it.

“What I expect is just to continue coming to the stadium every day, working hard, doing whatever I can to play well and help this team win,” he said. “At the end of the day, if it’s in the cards for me to help this team in the next phase of the process, then so be it, and thank God for that. But I’m going to keep doing what I can control.

“There’s been a lot of great things going on overall with the team. We’re playing in a lot of competitive games this year. Lately there have been a couple of tight losses, but overall the team’s energy has been there, our competitiveness has been there, and that’s all we can really ask for.”

Santander’s skill set now includes playing the harp, which he learned while the sport was shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic. He’d take classes three times a week with Tony Alvarado, a professor who also custom-made the harp that Santander purchased.

“It’s something I continue to practice and get better at,” he said. “I’ve had to put it on a bit of a hold during the season because I’ve had to trim my nails, and the harp is one of those instruments that, with longer nails, it sounds different, it sounds better, more refined. So I have to wait for the offseason to come back and see how it sounds again when I can let my nails grow out.”

Is Santander good?

He answers in English, again with a smile.

“Yes. He says I’ve got talent. I believe him.”

Perhaps the Orioles could coax him into performing the anthem before a game.

If he isn’t traded, of course.

Notes: According to STATS, the Orioles are the first team in major league history to allow a game-tying or go-ahead home run in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings and still win the game.

The Orioles have 20 home wins. They didn’t reach that total last season until Sept. 7.

Rougned Odor produced his third career game-tying or go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth inning or later and his first since Aug. 3, 2019 with the Rangers.

Ryan McKenna had his first career go-ahead hit with his home run in the eighth inning.

Jorge Mateo run-scoring single in the second inning was his 100^th career hit.