The Cincinnati Reds announced the signing of Cristian Santana to a Minor League contract with a non-roster invitation to 2022 Spring Training. Santana was among the group of Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League free agents.
Santana signed with the Dodgers as an international free agent in April 2014 and at one point was a top-15 prospect in the organization. He debuted with the Dominican Summer League that year and didn’t arrive stateside until being assigned to the Arizona League Dodgers in June 2016.
Santana joined the Dodgers’ former Rookie level affiliate, Ogden Raptors, the following year but only spent a brief time with them as he then was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons.
Santana continued to make stops with each affiliate in the farm system and spent this past season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He batted .311/.331/.444 with 20 doubles, eight home runs and 51 RBI over 91 games.
Santana primarily played third base for OKC but also spent some time at first base and occasionally was used as the designated hitter.
Over his Minor League career, Santana has hit .290/.317/.440 with 102 doubles, 63 home runs and 311 RBI across 517 games.
Had the 24-year-old remained with the Dodgers, he figured to again remain with Oklahoma City but still be at least one or two years from contributing at the Major League level.
Dodgers lose Davidson to Diamondbacks
Matt Davidson, another of the Dodgers’ Minor Leaguers who became a free agent this winter, returned to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He too received an invitation to Spring Training.
Davidson was selected by the Diamondbacks in the first round (No. 35 overall) of the 2009 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut with Arizona during the 2013 season, though only appeared in 31 games.
Davidson then appeared in a combined 242 games for the Chicago White Sox from 2016-18, and 20 games with the Cincinnati Reds last year.
Over parts of five Major League seasons, he has hit a combined .223/.292/.433 with 46 doubles, 52 home runs and 154 RBI.
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