If 2024 was Anthony Santander’s last year as an Oriole, he went out with a bang.

With free agency looming and tens of millions of dollars hanging in the balance, Santander put up a career year for the Orioles and was awarded for it Tuesday.

Santander was named an American League Silver Slugger after he blasted 44 home runs this past season, MLB announced Tuesday evening. It marks Santander’s first time winning the award after he was a finalist in both 2022 and 2023.

The award recognizes the top offensive performers at each position and is voted on by MLB managers and coaches. Santander is one of three AL outfielders to be named a Silver Slugger, joining New York Yankees stars and AL Most Valuable Player finalists Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

Judge, the MVP front-runner, clobbered 58 home runs, tallied 144 RBIs and posted a 1.159 OPS for the AL-champion Yankees. Soto, the hottest name on the free-agent market, hit 41 long balls with 109 RBIs and a .989 OPS. Santander and his career-high home run total, 102 RBIs and .814 OPS beat out Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran (.834 OPS) and Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (.827 OPS).

Santander’s 44 long balls ranked third in MLB behind only Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Only three switch-hitters in MLB history have crushed more homers in a season than Santander did in 2024: Mickey Mantle (54 in 1961, 52 in 1956), Lance Berkman (45 in 2006) and Chipper Jones (45 in 1999).

Santander is now the 16th player in Orioles history to win the award since its inception in 1980. The last outfielder to be a Silver Slugger was Cedric Mullins in 2021. Other outfielders who received the hardware include Mark Trumbo (2016) and Adam Jones (2013).

The 30-year-old right fielder could be a hot commodity on the open market, as the teams that lose out on the sweepstakes for Soto, who will likely receive north of $500 million, could see Santander as the next-best option. As expected, the Orioles extended the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer to Santander and starting pitcher Corbin Burnes last week. Both will almost certainly decline it to instead explore free agency. MLB Trade Rumors projects Santander will receive a four-year, $80 million contract, though others have guessed he will receive a nine-figure deal across five or more years.

Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg were finalists at shortstop and utility, but neither won at their respective positions. Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. was the AL’s winner at shortstop, while Texas Rangers infielder Josh Smith took home the honor among AL utility players. It was Henderson’s second time being a finalist and Westburg’s first. Catcher Adley Rutschman wasn’t a finalist after earning the honor in 2023.

Henderson put up one of the best seasons in Orioles history with a .281 average and 37 homers to lead AL shortstops. His .891 OPS ranked second among AL shortstops, behind only Witt.

Westburg was in the middle of a breakout sophomore campaign before a hit by pitch fractured his hand in late July. The 25-year-old was an All-Star at third base but also played 53 games at second and two at shortstop to earn consideration as a utility player. Westburg’s .792 OPS was much better than Smith’s .731, but the latter played 149 games to the former’s 107.

Around the horn

A dozen Baltimore minor leaguers became free agents last week after their minor league contract terms expired — many of whom because their six renewal seasons had already been exercised. The most notable names on the list are former Orioles Nick Vespi, Bruce Zimmermann and Terrin Vavra. Vespi, a left-handed reliever, has a 3.88 ERA across 53 1/3 career MLB innings as he was frequently shuttled between Triple-A Norfolk and Baltimore since 2022. Zimmermann, a left-handed starting pitcher and an Ellicott City native, posted a 5.57 ERA in 158 1/3 innings with the Orioles from 2020 to 2023. Vavra is a career .254 hitter across 67 games with the Orioles and was on the club’s opening day roster in 2023. The other Orioles players to become free agents are right-handers Nick Anderson, Nolan Hoffman and Adrian Houser; left-handers Matt Krook and Cooper McKeehan; infielders Garrett Cooper, J.D. Davis and Niko Goodrum; and outfielder Forrest Wall.

A report released by the St. Petersburg City Council states that the Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field, which was damaged by Hurricane Milton in October, can be fixed in time for the 2026 season for a projected $55.7 million. Whether the city will pay that to repair the stadium that is set to be demolished after the 2027 campaign remains to be seen. It’s also unclear where the Rays, one of the Orioles’ American League East foes, will play in 2025, though the spring training complexes of the Phillies and Yankees are the most plausible.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 667-942-3337 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.