Johan Santana is finally being traded, but not to the Yankees or Red Sox. In something of a coup, the New York Mets have leapt in at the last minute and swung a deal with the Twins for their former Cy Young winning left-hander.
The trade is not yet official. For it to become so, the Mets would have to successfully negotiate a new contract with Santana within the next 72 hours. Santana reportedly wants $20 million a year for six or seven years...not an unreasonable sum when you consider how much money Barry Zito got from the Giants.
The Twins would receive a package of young players in return for Santana, including outfielder Carlos Gomez, and pitchers Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.
It's been an incredibly busy off-season for the Twins: they just signed Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer to long-term deals, plus they made a big trade with Tampa Bay that brought them highly-regarded outfielder Delmon Young among others. The now-Santanaless Twins will be counting even more on the development of young pitchers like Boof Bonzer and Scott Baker, and the return of phenom Francisco Liriano who had Tommy John surgery after a remarkable run in the 2006 season. They have also been shopping closer Joe Nathan.
The Mets, meanwhile, are trying to recover from a disappointing season that saw them lead the N.L. East for most of the year before collapsing in epic fashion down the stretch. Santana gives them a stud #1 guy to replace Pedro Martinez who missed most of 2007 and can't be seen as more than a #4 starter at this point. John Maine and Oliver Perez give the Mets two more solid arms behind Santana.
The Twins reportedly gave early sweepstakes favorites the Yankees one last chance to make a deal today, but when the Yanks reiterated their refusal to include Phil Hughes in any potential trade, the Twins said so long. That opened the door for the Mets who, as we know, enjoy besting the Yankees any time they get a chance.
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Tags: johan santana, minnesota twins, new york mets
