Let me back up a bit, that headline is a pinch deceiving.
It certainly seemed like Domingo Santana was a perfect low risk/high reward acquisition for the Cleveland Indians, at least when the move occurred in early February.
Back then, spring training was just about to get under way. The Indians had a handful of outfield options, none spectacular, all vying for notable playing time.
It wasn’t ideal to have so many players to sift through, nor did tossing another one into the pile solve any issues. Still, with 162 games to work with, there’d be plenty of time to give everyone a decent shot while still seeing if Santana could tap into the productivity he displayed with the Brewers in 2017.
Everything went to hell soon after that.
Casey Drottar is a Cleveland Indians writer for Sports Illustrated. Subscribe to his podcast, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook