Santana Deal Nearing Closure

by Liza on Jan 29, 2008 4:44 PM EST

"The New York Mets have agreed to a trade for two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, giving up four prospects to acquire the left-handed ace of the Minnesota Twins, according to two high-ranking Twins officials with knowledge of the talks and a person close to Santana. The deal is pending the Mets and Santana reaching agreement on a six- or seven-year contract extension and that Santana passes a physical."

-USA Today

The Mets are sending corner outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey to the Twins.

I admit that, when I heard a deal was nearly done, I screamed--I'm such a girl--and screamed again when I heard it was the Mets. Well, we didn't have to give up prospects and he's out of the AL, too. So all we need is to settle one or two years and a physical and we can all sleep easily again.

Poll

Do you like Santana on the Mets?

Yes

20 votes

No

0 votes

Depends on how good he does this year

0 votes

Depends on how good the rest of the Mets do this year

0 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

thank you twins

thank you twins for overplaying your hand and sending santana out of the AL for peanuts. That is all. :P

by spinz on Jan 29, 2008 5:00 PM EST reply actions

Whoopsies

Matzushocka got there first... and I thought I was being so cool knowing the breaking news. xD

by Liza on Jan 29, 2008 5:02 PM EST reply actions

Re: Whoopsies

Ah, but your diary has extra poll-y goodness.

Bottom 9th B:1 S:0 O:0 With Bill Mueller batting, Dave Roberts steals (1) 2nd base.

by britsoxfan on Jan 29, 2008 5:06 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Whoopsies

I find it extremely interesting that 7 out of 7 people said "yes" so far.

I also find it extremely embarrassing that I put "good" instead of "well" in the poll... twice. Heh.

by Liza on Jan 29, 2008 5:36 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Whoopsies

Don't worry. It's all well. ;-)

I imagine the "yes's" are from the (I think, now) majority of Sox fans who didn't want to give up the prospects but also didn't want to see him on the Yanks. Those people may have just gotten everything they wanted.

by Allen Chace on Jan 29, 2008 5:38 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Whoopsies

Well, can you tell I'm in that crowd? I'm very happy with this as the culmination of these months and months of anticipation. :P

This whole trade has been rumored since at least the end of November... wow, took long enough. Let's hope they can come to a decision and we can just look forward to spring training uninterrupted.

by Liza on Jan 29, 2008 6:18 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Whoopsies

Eh, not a big enough difference in time to worry about. You both did a better job than I did, certainly, though I'm working on a completely unrelated post as we speak...

by Allen Chace on Jan 29, 2008 5:06 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Santana Deal Nearing Closure

I'm glad that's over...I was a big fan of bringing him in if possible, but I am glad we'll get to see the kids play and have a little more payroll flexibility if we need to make a big deadline move, etc.

by Devine @ Over the Monster on Jan 29, 2008 6:43 PM EST reply actions

Re: Santana Deal Nearing Closure

GM Bill Smith should be FIRED. Pack his stuff up in a box and leave it on his car in the parking lot. The guy got PLAYED by the Yanks and Sox, by Johan and by LOL, Omar. Wow, you think Minnesota might of wanted Terry Ryan to do this last deal before his retired.

LOL, if these players do not turn out well for the Twins, Smith will go down in history as making one of the worst trades EVER!

I wish I could get Bill Smith into a no limits Texas hold em game...

by SoxAcumen on Jan 29, 2008 7:47 PM EST reply actions

Re: Santana Deal Nearing Closure

I wish I could get Bill Smith into a no limits Texas hold em game...

<<laughing>>

Open ended straight-flush draw can still be folded to a big enough bet before the river. You win about 1/3rd of the time if you have to hit your straight or flush (and you know that's enough to win). So a pot-sized bet is marginal value to call (if the other person won't then call a bet if you make).

Of course, what he's actually done is take 4 seats on an internet game (and I know that (i) you guys are not allowed to play on the internet and (ii) no internet site allows you to take more than one seat at a time). But you can still lose in that scenario to one of the other people at the table.

I like this trade for the Red Sox. We get to keep our future and still have the best rotation in the league. Now to get Salty! (stop tittering at the back - that was an earlier comment thread ...)

Jez

by CountyJez on Jan 30, 2008 7:34 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Santana Deal Nearing Closure

My point CJ is that Bill Smith expected and bet that the Yanks and Sox would fight it out for Santana, and the Yanks and Sox were playing a different game, making sure the other did not get Santana.

Did Bill Smith have a hand that might of got a far better deal? Sure, he could of hit it big, but he relied on Cashman/Jr. and Theo to go at each other and that was a bad call in retrospect. Especially after the Winter Meetings, when it was obvious that Theo was not going to give up Lester + Ellsbury and Hank Jr. was not giving up Hughes + Kennedy. So Smith did not have the hand he thought v. either club.

If you have the best pitcher in baseball (I will allow this even though I believe Josh Beckett has proven he is better), you MUST get someone who is ready today to step in and be a franchise player...ex. Phil Hughes or Jacoby Ellsbury. Smith could of gotten one of these players and some prospects.

He got played. The Sox and Yanks are playing a different game than the rest of the MLB, they are playing to beat each other. T. Ryan would of known this and made a better deal.

Also, what bothers me the most about this deal is the Twins add 1 OF + 3 Pitching prospects? Why? I thought the Twins wanted a front of the rotation starter to replace Santana, a CF who can start today and IF help who can hit...Do they plan on moving Gomez to SS?

Smith should be fired.

This deal was horrible and could only get worse for Minnesota, maybe even worse than the Hershel Walker deal. At least the Timberwolves got 2 first rounders, a large expiring contract in Theo Ratcliff and this years Celtics 1st round pick.

by SoxAcumen on Jan 30, 2008 10:15 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Santana Deal Nearing Closure

While I don't like this deal from the Twins' perspective, it's possible that it was the only one. For all we know, the NYY pulled out of the negotiations, and Theo may have reduced his offer. Maybe the packages leaked to the media were never serious offers... I'm hoping to hear more background on this deal.

by 0157H7 on Jan 30, 2008 11:56 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Santana Deal Nearing Closure

Rotoworld (fountain of knowledge?!?) seemed to be suggesting that both Lester and Ellsbury were off the table by the end. In which case, you're absolutely right, SoxAcumen - Smith overplayed his hand and eventually had to take all he could get.

Now where's that Twins fan for comment on this deal ...

by CountyJez on Jan 31, 2008 5:06 AM EST reply actions