[7][8] While Santiago initially made an impression with his offensive statistics, he soon became known for his defensive prowess, most notably for his strong throwing arm.

[11] Santiago also claimed his second successive Silver Slugger Award as the Padres improved to finish in third place in the National League Western Division.

[1][19] He was also named as a reserve player for the National League team in the 1990 All-Star Game and won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award.

[23] In June, Padres manager Greg Riddoch benched Santiago for his lack of hustle on the playing field.

[1] Santiago returned to arbitration before the 1992 season, this time winning a $3.3 million one-year contract that made him the highest paid catcher in professional baseball.

[26] On December 16, 1992, Santiago signed with the newly established franchise Florida Marlins and hit the first home run in team history.

Despite hitting for a .273 average in 1994, he was granted free agency after the season as the Marlins were ready to promote their young catching prospect, Charles Johnson.

[1] Santiago then signed a contract to play for the Blue Jays (1997–1998) where he lost almost the entire 1998 season to a serious injury sustained in a car crash in Florida.

[1][31] The Giants defeated the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the play-offs then met the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2002 National League Championship Series.

The Pirates let Santiago go after a mere 23 at-bats in favor of giving playing time to young David Ross.

[1] A five-time All-Star, Santiago was known for his strong defensive skills, leading National League catchers three times in assists, once in fielding percentage and once in baserunners caught stealing.

"At the end of the 2003 season, Mike Murphy, a Giants clubhouse attendant, was cleaning out Santiago's locker when he found a sealed package of syringes," the report read.

Murphy recalled that the Giants’ assistant athletic trainer Dave Groeschner also was present in the training room during this conversation."