Ervin Santana rejected a one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer last winter from the Royals because he thought he would be able to hit it big on the free agent market. He wound up having to settle for a one-year, $14.1 million free agent deal from the Braves, and now we get to do this all over again.
Santana, who turned down a one-year, $15.3 million qualifying offer last month from Atlanta, is looking for a five-year contract on the open market this winter according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
It only takes one owner to meet the asking price, but it’s hard to see Santana suddenly being able to command such a lengthy commitment. The right-hander had a 3.24 ERA (127 ERA+) over 211 innings in 2013 for Kansas City and he posted a 3.95 ERA (92 ERA+) in 196 innings this past season with Atlanta.