PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana to a 1-year contract.
The deal is worth $6.75 million.
The arrival of the 36-year-old gives the young Pirates an experienced hitter who the team hopes will serve as a role model in 2023.
The switch-hitting Santana split time between Kansas City and Seattle in 2022, hitting .202 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs. He provided some much-needed pop to Seattle’s lineup after arriving in a trade in June, slugging 15 home runs to help the Mariners reach the postseason for the first time since 2001.
The signing is also a bit of a splurge for the Pirates, who also acquired Ji-Man Choi from Tampa Bay earlier this month to help address an offense that ranked near the bottom of the majors in slugging and on-base percentage.
