2 reasons the Orioles need to pay up for Anthony Santander and 1 reason they shouldn't

Baltimore Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander is having a heck of a year. He's currently tied with Shohei Ohtani for second in the majors in homers with 34, he's striking out at a career-low rate, and the first-time All-Star is a huge reason why the O's are tied with the Yankees for the best record in the American League entering Aug. 9.

At 30 years old, Santander is practically a paternal figure on the precocious Orioles. His veteran presence has been invaluable though, as he's been a perfect complement to the Birds' young core of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, and Colton Cowser.

The Orioles' future is undoubtedly bright, to say nothing of how good they are at this present moment. Baltimore has more young talent than any team in the league, and there's more waiting in the minors, which means this may be just the beginning of a years-long run of orange and black dominance.

For Orioles fans, this surplus of promising youth puts them in an enviable position. It also creates some tricky decisions, such as what the team should do when Santander's contract runs out at the end of this year.

Santander is set to enter free agency, and he's expressed a desire to stay with the Orioles, the only team he's played for in his eight-year major league career. His stats say that he should be made a priority by Orioles general manager Mike Elias, but his age and potential in-house replacements make the decision one that isn't as open and shut as it may appear.

Santander and the Orioles haven't engaged in contract talks and seemingly won't until the season is concluded. What should Baltimore do? Let's look at two reasons why Santander should be re-signed, and one why the Orioles should let him walk.

Pro: Switch-hitting power hitters don't grow on trees

Santander isn't just a prolific power hitter, he's a prolific switch-hitting power hitter. That has become more and more rare these days. Only six switch-hitters in the league have more than 20 home runs, and Santander has more than any of them. That list includes Jose Ramirez, Ketel Marte, Cal Raleigh, Francisco Lindor, and Elly De La Cruz, or in other words, a bunch of guys that will be on the MVP shortlist when the season is said and done.

The only chance competing teams would have of acquiring any of those aforementioned players is to pry them from their respective team's cold, dead hands. Long story short, they're not available, nor should they be, so don't bother calling. The thought of any being allowed to simply walk away in free agency is, in the words of Vizzini from The Princess Bride, "inconceivable!"

Santander is a special player, and this year isn't just a flash in the pan. Yes, his strikeouts are down, but that's not a fluke. With over 400 at-bats on the season, it's a big enough sample size to believe that his contact numbers are sustainable. His power, though, has been present for years. He has 95 homers in the past three season, and will surely clear 100 by time the regular season ends. The only other players to do that are Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, Shohei Ohtani, and Matt Olson. That's some pretty good company.

Even if the Orioles believe that they can credibly replace Santander's production from within, it would be ludicrous to let him walk for nothing. You simply don't let hitters like this go, especially a switch-hitter that provides extra lineup flexibility.

Pro: New owner David Rubenstein can show that the penny-pinching days of Peter Angelos are over

The Orioles' payroll of approximately $107 million ranks them 21st in the majors. Much of that is due to the young roster not yet having accrued enough service time to hit free agency and demand a large contract, but part of it is by design, as well. The Orioles have historically been cheap, but that was under Peter Angelos, the longtime owner who finally sold the team in January.

That sale, to a group led by billionaire Baltimore native David Rubenstein, was finalized in early August. Excitement among fans is already high for this team, but there's no way for a new owner to better ingratiate himself to fans than to spend some money. Rubenstein has the means to do that.

Santander is well within his rights to demand a large contract. According to Spotrac, he's made just under $26 million in his career, and regardless of here he ends up, his new deal should dwarf that number. Rubenstein shouldn't be scared away by dollar signs, though, as Baltimore currently sports a payroll of about a third of their main competitor, the Yankees. Any contract given to Santander would still keep them comfortably in the league's lower middle class when it comes to spending.

Just because you have money doesn't mean you should spend it poorly. There's a reason well-run teams like the Orioles and Rays are able to compete year in and year out. Santander is a good investment, though — a lifelong Oriole that has become a fan favorite, and it's not like he's 35 years old. He'll only be 30 when next season begins, and should have plenty of production left in him.

The Orioles are really good and should be World Series contenders for the next half-decade. All the young guys on the roster are overperforming their relatively meager contracts, so now is not the time to skimp on payroll, especially for a new owner.

Con: Heston Kjerstad won't be denied

If Baltimore decides to let Santander walk, it's likely because the team is ready to entrust his position to Heston Kjerstad, the power-hitting prospect that now has 28 major league games under his belt. Kjerstad has mashed the ball as long as he's been on scouts' radar: first at Arkansas, where he hit 37 homers in just over two seasons, then in the minors, where he's posted a .912 OPS in three-ish seasons.

Kjerstad has actually put up better numbers at Triple-A Norfolk than he has at the lower levels, and though he's only had 113 at-bats at the major league level, his .779 OPS is plenty respectable for any player, let alone a midseason call-up.

Kjerstad is going to be a key contributor on the Orioles one way or another, even if his ascent has hit a slight speed bump due to a recent concussion. The team's deadline deal for Eloy Jimenez also complicates matters, as the former White Sox slugger still has two years left on his contract (though Baltimore could decide to treat him as a rental for this year and then buy him out for only $3 million any of the next two years). Jimenez has only been a DH in his nascent four-game Orioles career, but if you take Jimenez, Cowser, Santander, and Kjerstad and assume that you can divvy them up between left field, right field, and DH, that leaves one odd man out. It's nice to have quality pinch hitters coming off the bench, but each of those four is vastly overqualified for that role.

There's definitely a scenario where Baltimore declines to match a godfather offer from another team with deeper pockets like the Mets or Dodgers and decides to roll with what they've got. Letting a player of Santander's quality just doesn't seem like a good baseball move, though, and if anything, the Orioles should look to flip Jimenez for a pitcher or someone else of value this offseason to ease the logjam they've created.

Santander's pending free agency will be the first big litmus test of what Orioles fans can expect from this new ownership group. Is David Rubenstein all-in on building and sustaining a potential juggernaut, or is he watching the bottom line more than the wins column?