What will Orioles do with Santander? / MAILBAG

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: With the influx of talent coming up, what do you think the Orioles should do about Anthony Santander? Re-sign him? Let him go? Trade him at the deadline for pitching depth or a few prospects to help ease the loss of any potential trades for upgrades on the rotation/’pen? From: Michael Gendron

Answer: Michael, I certainly wouldn’t trade Anthony Santander. He’s been terrific for nearly two months, and they need him in the lineup for the rest of the season.

It will be interesting to see what his market is at the end of the season. While he’s been an excellent player for the Orioles, he’ll be 30 in October, and I would be surprised if the Orioles offer him a five-year contract.

He could receive a qualifying offer from the Orioles, enabling them to receive a draft choice if he signs elsewhere. If an initial look at the market doesn’t seem promising, he could always return to the team for another year if he accepted the qualifying offer.

Question: For the second straight year the O’s drafted a centerfielder with their first pick. I see he has yet to sign a contract. If he chooses not to sign, is the pick simply lost or is there some sort of compensation for the team if their top pick doesn’t sign? I remember a few years ago I think it was the Mets drafted a pitcher who never signed with their first pick but I don’t know what happened afterward. From: Dave Gruber

Answer: Dave, it’s pretty rare that a first-round pick doesn’t sign. I would guess Vance Honeycutt will sign with the Orioles before next Tuesday’s deadline. If he doesn’t seem, the Orioles will receive a compensatory pick in next year’s first round.

In 2021, Kumar Rocker, who was the 10^th pick in the draft, didn’t sign with the New York Mets, and the Mets had the 11^th pick in 2022. Rocker was drafted third by Texas in 2022