It’s not often that a great pitcher still in his 20s is put on the trade market. In fact, there might be only three – Steve Carlton in 1972, Pedro Martinez in 1997, and now Johan Santana in 2007.
Like Martinez, the issue for Santana is that his current team doesn’t have either the means or desire to pay him top dollar. The normally low-budget Minnesota Twins have offered Santana, 28, a four-year, $80 million contract, double the pay from the four-year deal that expires after the 2008 season. That seems like a generous deal for any pitcher, even one who has won two Cy Young Awards and led the American League in strikeouts three teams and ERA twice through only four years as a full-time starter.
But with various reports suggesting Santana could get a six-year, $150 million deal when he becomes a free agent after the 2008 season, the Twins’ offer, even though it would give the left-hander the largest annual pay among pitchers, looks positively puny.
Santana, 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA for his career, looks like he will win his 100th game in something other than a Twins uniform. He is sure to be a hot topic at baseball’s winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., scheduled for Dec. 3-7. By meetings’ end, Santana could be elsewhere in a deal that could be a day that lives in infamy for Twins fans.
So who is interested in Santana, and what could the Twins get for him?
Here are a few teams in the hunt, most of whom have the means and desire to sign Santana to a long-term deal, along with a few that might have the means and desire to take a one-year flyer on Santana, who makes $13 million in 2008, figuring a deep playoff run is probable and worth the risk of losing Santana in 2009.
By the way, Carlton got traded from St. Louis to Philadelphia for Rick Wise, a pitcher whose career was on the downside, while Montreal traded Martinez to Boston for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr., who had their moments, but not enough of them, certainly not for the Expos. Then again, Minnesota in 2003 got Francisco Liriano, Boof Bonser and Joe Nathan from San Francisco for A.J. Pierzynski, so perhaps the Twins have the know-how to save a little face.";
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","THE CANDIDATES","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","New York Yankees","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/MLB/Yankees.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i-1].body = "
Doesn’t it always start with the Yankees? Heir-to-the-throne Hank Steinbrenner kicked off the rampant speculation about Santana’s future whereabouts by blabbing that his team was looking seriously into acquiring him. The Yankees now say they have called off talks, but don't be surprised if Steinbrenner and group are still involved.
New York is in serious need of starting pitching, with Mike Mussina aging and Roger Clemens last year proving unworthy of radio announcer Suzyn Waldman’s spasmodic enthusiasm before heading back into “retirement\". Plus, there was the flop that was Kei Igawa. And as effective as Chien-Ming Wang can be, having a softball pitcher as your No. 1 starter doesn’t inspire confidence in the staff as a whole.
On the other hand, the Yankees have good young pitching talent such as Philip Hughes and Joba Chamberlain that could step up. But with Santana on the market, the Yankees are willing to let go of one of them – most likely Hughes. The problem with trying to hold onto both with Santana on the market is not only that the Twin is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but also because if the Yankees don’t get him, a certain AL East rival to its northeast just might. With Hughes and center fielder Melky Cabrera (to replace the Twins’ departed free agent Torii Hunter) to dangle, the Yankees have solid, inexpensive young talent to dangle.";
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","Boston Red Sox","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/MLB/redsox.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i-1].body = "
Boston is in much the same position as the Yankees. It has young, major-league pitching talent (Clay Buchholz or Jon Lester) and a center fielder (Boston would like to give up Coco Crisp, but Minnesota wants Jacoby Ellsbury) to at least give Minnesota a chance at filling a few of its biggest holes.
Boston might have to get aggressive in outbidding the Yankees, particularly in being willing to swallow the loss of Series hero Ellsbury. New York with Santana is a true threat to stop Boston from winning a second straight World Series. Boston with Santana to top a starting rotation that follows with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Buchholz or Lester, and Tim Wakefield. Wow. May as well start printing Series tickets again.";
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","Los Angeles Dodgers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/MLB/Dodgers.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i-1].body = "
The new-look Dodgers under manager Joe Torre certainly aren’t going to let a little thing like blowing money on Jason Schmidt (1-4, season-ending shoulder surgery in the first year of a three-year, $47 million contract) scare them away from the Santana sweepstakes.
Especially not with having so much young talent to offer Minnesota – and so much to keep.
If the reports circulating are to be believed, it’s a sure thing that third-base prospect Andy LaRoche will be included in any Santana deal.
If the Twins could pry Matt Kemp so he could play center field in the Metrodome, all the better. The Dodgers also have plenty of minor-league prospects that could be of interest.
The sticking point in any deal might be what pitching the Dodgers offer in return. They are likely to be slow to hand over Chad Billingsley, 12-5 with a 3.47 ERA while splitting time as a starter and reliever.
Perhaps the Twins might try to go after set-up man Jonathan Broxton, grooming him to be a closer if Joe Nathan, another 2009 free agent for the Twins, makes clear he won’t be re-signing.";
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","Los Angeles Angels","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/MLB/LAAngelsLogo.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "98", "98", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i-1].body = "
Like Boston, the Angels would give themselves a formidable starting pitching crew if they could get Santana – behind him would be John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Jered Weaver and the newly acquired Jon Garland.
Maybe the Angels should then start printing World Series tickets the day Santana arrives.
The problem for the Angels is what they can offer. They would love to unload Gary Matthews Jr., who is being displaced in center field by Hunter. But would Minnesota take Matthews? He had a subpar 2007 as allegations of performance-enhancing drug use swirled around him. The Angels also have a shortage of young, major-league ready pitching available.
That is, unless the Angels figure having Santana makes trade bait out of Garland, just acquired from the Chicago White Sox for Orlando Cabrera.
Garland has only one year left on his contract, too, but it’s easier to justify a $150 million investment in Santana than, say, a $60 million investment (over four years, say) in Garland.";
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","New York Mets","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/MLB/mets.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i-1].body = "
Nothing would help christen a new stadium (the Mets are moving out of Shea Stadium into the new Citi Field in 2009) than a long-term deal with the world’s best pitcher anchoring a solid staff that includes John Maine and Oliver Perez, and a hopefully (for the Mets) resurgent Pedro Martinez.
However, the Twins might not bite on what the Mets can offer. Lastings Milledge would have been a candidate to go and play center in Minnesota, but he was traded to the Nationals on Friday. And the Twins would have to be confident that Mike Pelfrey was merely going through rookie growing pains last season (3-8, 5.57), or that Aaron Heilman, despite all evidence he presented to the Mets, is a legitimate starter.";
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","Milwaukee Brewers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/MLB/Logo_Brewers.thumb.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "59", "98", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i-1].body = "
What, did owner Mark Attanasio get so excited over the Brewers’ first over-.500 record and legitimate pennant race in a decade-and-a-half that he has decided to break the bank? No. But the Brewers would be intriguing in a weak NL Central, even having Santana on hand for just one year could guarantee a division title.
Plus, the Brewers are stocked with enough young talent that they could get rid of some of it without hurting themselves too much. Second baseman Rickie Weeks and center fielder Bill Hall have shown flashes of greatness mixed with more flashes of not-so-greatness, especially with their leaden gloves. But both would be an improvement for Minnesota. And maybe the Twins also would be willing to accept starting pitcher Chris Capuano with the thought that his disastrous 2007 (the Brewers lost 22 straight games he started) was an aberration.
So Milwaukee gets Santana for a year, doesn’t lose a ton in talent, and gets one year of glory. So why not give it a shot?";
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","Minnesota Twins","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/MLB/twins.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i-1].body = "
While it looks 99 percent certain Santana is out the door, there is always that 1 percent chance, as we learned when Michael Jordan came back after saying he was “99 percent retired.”
The Twins are encouraged by the progress of Francisco Liriano, a left-hander who was looking like Santana’s equal until an arm injury led to Tommy John surgery in 2006 that shut him down all of last season. If Liriano is back, perhaps the Twins decide they can make one more run in the AL Central before Santana, Joe Nathan, Justin Morneau and others jump ship.
And if that doesn’t work, then Minnesota holds a fire sale in July, and Santana becomes a rent-a-pitcher for the pennant race. Minnesota would probably get more for Santana now, rather than waiting. But with a new stadium finally looking like a reality, the Twins might feel duty-bound to at least play to win in 2008, no matter what the cost down the line, just to generate some excitement that will make fans feel less bad about any of their tax money going to build the new place. Or the Twins might want to signal to their fans that a new ballpark will create new revenue – enough to pay Santana what he wants."; spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("","WHICH IS YOUR PICK?","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_MLB_Santana_destination[i++] = new Array("spt_mlb_1130_santana_destination","Vote","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data