Santana

[Guest Edgy DC]

Can we have one thread where we talk about him all offseason? It seems to me that 12 hours after the World Series ends, we're going to hear about nothing else.

Obvious topics of conversation:

1) What do you give up for him with an extension available?

2) What do you give up for him with no extension available?

3) How important is it that the Mets "do what it takes" blah blah?

4) Will being around Pedro make him adjust similarly well as he becomes a middle-aged pitcher?

5) Who's your next favorite presumably available pitching guy? Can he ghrow a gyroball?

6) You know we'd have to deal with more than the future, right? We'd have to give up Maine or Perez to replace him in the Twin rotation? Whiich one?

7) Will the Twins say, "Fuck those entitled Met fans," and keep him, even attempting to negotiatie an extension?

8) Johan Santana. That's a funny combination of names, isn't it?

[metirish]

1) What do you give up for him with an extension available? - I would give up anyone except Reyes and Wright, Beltran they ain't taking, Jose is one of the top 15 to 20 players in the game so I would like to keep him, so I would give Milledge, Maine and minor league players.

2) What do you give up for him with no extension available? - Milledge and
minor league types.


3) How important is it that the Mets "do what it takes" blah blah? - Very, that's not been a worry lately for me.

4) Will being around Pedro make him adjust similarly well as he becomes a middle-aged pitcher? - I think that's over rated a little, pitching great will help better.

5) Who's your next favorite presumably available pitching guy? Can he ghrow a gyroball? - later.

6) You know we'd have to deal with more than the future, right? We'd have to give up Maine or Perez to replace him in the Twin rotation? Whiich one?

7) Will the Twins say, "Fuck those entitled Met fans," and keep him, even attempting to negotiatie an extension? - I think they will try that

8) Johan Santana. That's a funny combination of names, isn't it? - Hilarious but it fits.


I realise I have flip-flopped on Reyes.

[Guest sharpie]

If the Twins let Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva go, they have the money to spring for a mega-deal for Johan. Which is what I think will happen.

If it doesn't happen I would offer up either Maine or Perez along with prolly Pelfrey and Carlos Gomez (they'll need a centerfielder). Don't think an extension will be offered, we'd have to try to sign him.

Post headline if Santana signs with a New York Team: Oye Como Va!

[Farmer Ted]

oye como va for sure. The Mets recoup Glavine's cash but catcher may be the front burner issue.

[Frayed Knot]

Baseball America recently tackled the question as to what would be a fair return for dealing Santana.

Suggestions included the Dodgers sending (pitching prospect) Clayton Kershaw, OFer Matt Kemp, and 3B Andy (brother of Adam) LaRoche - although maybe the Twins want players with a more established track record.

Or the Yanx dealing [u:32c34cd725]one of[/u:32c34cd725] their young pitchers: Wang, Hughes, Chamberlain (although Wang is now arb-eligible and won't be all that cheap anymore) plus Melky Cabrera (replace Torii Hunter) plus a high-level prospect like Ian Kennedy or Jose Tabata (similar level to F. Martinez)

Or Boston giving up OFer Jacoby Ellsbury and P Taylor Buchholz plus a high level prospect



Trying to figure how those packages would correspond to the Mets gets you maybe:
Maine + Milledge + Gomez ??
Milledge or Maine + Mulvey + Martinez ??

[nymr83]

] Jose is one of the top 15 to 20 players in the game

woah. calm down there.

[DocTee]

I think those Dodger/Yankee deals fall short of the ones that Irish offered. If that's all it takes (Kemp, LaRoch and a minor-leaguer) we can do that without sacrificing Maine, I think.

Say Milledge, Humber/Pelfrey and Gomez?

[seawolf17]

I think he was a nice shortstop on a good team, but I don't know that bringing him back now, at fifty years old, is really going to help us.

[smg58]

1) What do you give up for him with an extension available?

Pelfrey or Humber + Mulvey or Guerra + Martinez

2) What do you give up for him with no extension available?

The same. We have a year to negotiate and the resources to get it done. Signing should not be an issue.

3) How important is it that the Mets "do what it takes" blah blah?

Depends on what "what it takes" really means. The way I see it, our bullpen is a more urgent need; I'd like another qualified starting pitcher for security purposes, but Santana is a rather big luxury in that regard. I'd go as far as what I listed above or some equivalent involving a major leaguer, but a bidding war could shoot the price over the roof, and at some point you have to know when to say no.

4) Will being around Pedro make him adjust similarly well as he becomes a middle-aged pitcher?

Not sure why that would make a difference either way.

5) Who's your next favorite presumably available pitching guy? Can he throw a gyroball?

Not sure who's available. As a sleeper, I'll throw out Bronson Arroyo. I don't think there was anything wrong with his 2007 that wouldn't be cured by keeping his pitch counts reasonable, and it's possible the Reds might be looking at his contract extension and getting queasy.

6) You know we'd have to deal with more than the future, right? We'd have to give up Maine or Perez to replace him in the Twin rotation? Which one?

I'm not sure if that's true; the Twins have to ask themselves if trying to contend without Santana and probably Hunter is prudent. They should either spend the money or rebuild, because going halfway won't help them now or later. If that does turn out to be true, though, then anybody's on the table except Wright. That includes Reyes -- as great a year as Hanley Ramirez had, I don't think the Red Sox mind having Josh Beckett in his place. The issue would be whether I know I can adequately replace what I'm dealing, because I don't see the point of going through the trouble of getting Santana and winding up with as many or more needs to address afterwards with limited options. But to answer your question... I really think Maine started turning a corner at the very end of the year, and was starting to do a very good job of making bats miss. I'd give up Ollie sooner.

7) Will the Twins say, "Fuck those entitled Met fans," and keep him, even attempting to negotiate an extension?

Entitled? We're the second most self-entitled group of baseball fans in this city, which among other things means we won't be alone in pursuing him. I think the Twins are at the point where they should entertain offers, unless they're actually willing to spend money. My money would be on them putting Santana on the market, although I think they need to convince the fans that they're committed to winning and not to saving money. If the Brewers can draw nearly three million fans, there's no reason why the Twins can't, and there's no reason they couldn't afford Santana if they did.

[Centerfield]

seawolf17 wrote: I think he was a nice shortstop on a good team, but I don't know that bringing him back now, at fifty years old, is really going to help us.

He's a legendary guitarist and all, but I don't know that he's a good fit for this team.

He was an incredible athlete, and a former-Intercontinental Champion, but other than the occasional brawl, I don't see what he would add to this team.

[seawolf17]

="Centerfield"]He was an incredible athlete, and a former-Intercontinental Champion, but other than the occasional brawl, I don't see what he would add to this team.

According to Wikipedia, he's a Spanish middle school teacher in Jersey, so maybe he can help Professor Reyes.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Arriba!

[seawolf17]

By the way, how frigging cool would it be for an old 1980's WWF fan to have your kid's middle school Spanish teacher be Tito Santana? That might just be enough of a reason to move to New Jersey.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'd prefer Don Muraco teaching social studies, and Tony Atlas doing AP physics, but yeah, pretty cool.

[Fman99]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'd prefer Don Muraco teaching social studies, and Tony Atlas doing AP physics, but yeah, pretty cool.

You could get the Iron Sheik to teach your Civics class. "America, ptooie!"

[Guest Edgy DC]

Some of my favorite alternatives from the free-agent field:

Carlos Silva
Wade Miller
Joel Pineiro
Greg Maddux
Livan Hernandez
Anna Benson

All intriguing, none ideal.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Piniero isn't available; he signed a deal with St. Louis.

[metirish]

There's not a whole lot out there, I would like to add Josh Fogg to the above list, he's pitching game three back in Denver. Matt Clement is a FA, whatever happened to him?


Curt Schilling ?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Great news for Maddux!