An elbow injury in 2017 prevented Santander from spending the required amount of time on the active roster for a Rule 5 pick, so the Orioles were forced to keep him in the big leagues to start the 2018 campaign or send him back to Cleveland. Baltimore chose the former path, keeping him in the majors until mid-May. He was then sent to the minors for the rest of the season, spending the bulk of the year at Double-A, the level he likely would have been at had his career proceeded normally as he'd topped out at High-A in Cleveland's system. His numbers weren't particularly promising with Double-A Bowie, as he hit just .258/.293/.402 in 54 games. Santander projected as an average hitter for both contact and power, a profile which will likely see him back in the big leagues on merit at some point, but which may not be enough for a starting job at first base or left field.

While most teams pour resources into the international market, the Orioles largely ignore it and instead pour their resources into the Rule 5 draft each year. Santander was their big score in 2016. They stole him away from the Indians, but a strained elbow ligament limited him to just 46 days on the active roster last season, so he will need to be in the majors for 44 days in 2018 before he can be sent to Double-A or Triple-A to continue his development. He profiles as a bat-first left fielder, who could hit for a fairly high average while offering 20-plus homer power. The 23-year-old switch-hitter was able to get his first experience at Double-A last year on a rehab assignment, and was extremely successful in that 15-game sample. According to Baseball America, he draws Victor Martinez comps, and like Martinez, he may end up as a designated hitter at some point if his bat ends up being as good as some think.

A switch-hitting outfielder, Santander has been brought along slowly since being signed as a teenager out of Venezuela in 2011. The corner outfielder had his best season in the minors in 2016, slashing .290/.368/.494 with 20 home runs, 95 RBI and 10 steals in 128 games for High-A Lynchburg. He was third in the Carolina League in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage. The double-digit stolen base number makes Santander a particularly intriguing prospect, though it is worth noting he only had 18 steals combined in the previous four seasons. Still, his power stroke seems to have arrived, and his average has not dipped below .280 between Low-A and High-A thus far. That success led the Orioles to select him in the Rule 5 draft, which complicates matters. He will have to remain on Baltimore's active roster all season for them to retain his rights, which could mean he will be stashed on the bench for much of the year, as he is likely to be severely overmatched against big league pitching.