When the Phillies signed Carlos Santana during the offseason, it caused some head-scratching. They were not considered a major suitor for him as the offseason began. The $20 million average annual value of his three-year contract was well above what was predicted for him.
The move was even more confusing when you factored in the personnel already on the team. After starting off his career in left field, Rhys Hoskins had taken over at first base from Tommy Joseph. Hoskins’s rookie debut was historic and he had seemingly cemented himself as the first baseman of the future.