Benjamin Grimm

If Gomez fails the physical, the Mets could always swallow hard and substitute Martinez. If one of the pitchers fails, they can put in Pelfrey and cash. It all depends on how badly they want to get the deal done. I doubt that any of them will fail physicals. The Mets have been keeping an eye on these guys and would probably know if anything was wrong.

Yeah, but what if they speak street Spanish??

Bob Nightengale, USA Today wrote: The Mets, according to a high-ranking official privy to the negotiations, are close to agreeing to a five- or six-year contract extension with Santana that will average about $21.5 million a year. The two sides have until 5 p.m. ET Friday to reach an agreement.

If this deal falls apart it will be the Second Collapse. And spring training will start with a big stink hovering over the team.

]To put his development in more perspective, if he'd played a full year at AA and hit .290/.360/.410 or so, he would have been on pace to debut in the big leagues at 19 or 20 and be a big league regular before he turned 21. He's going to be a star, but everyone has to bear in mind how young he is to keep his performance in perspective. So if he had had a healthy 2007, he'd have been a big-league regular at age 20, which would be the 2009 season. I guess this means Law is projecting Fernando as a regular in 2010 instead? (Assuming he stays healthy the next couple of years.) If that scenario pans out, (and that's a considerable if) the Mets would just need a short-term outfielder for the 2009 season, someone to bridge the gap between Alou and Martinez.

I'll take that 2013 Worlds Championship, though.

Shooter Charley Walters, of the Pioneer Press, a Twin Cities paper, had this nugget of information: SHOOTER CHARLEY WALTERS wrote: The money was flowing Wednesday during negotiations for a contract extension between pitcher Johan Santana and the New York Mets. With details still to be worked out, including a $7 million signing bonus and performance incentives, the parties were talking about a six-year deal worth more than $150 million.

The Associated Press wrote: Mets officials met with Santana's agent, Peter Greenberg, in Manhattan on Wednesday. If the sides reach an agreement before Friday's deadline, the only obstacle left would be Santana passing a physical.

I find it kind of amusing that yesterday, for the first time ever, Frank Viola was the most popular UMDB lookup for the day. I guess one left-handed former Minnesota Cy Young winner acquired by the Mets calls to mind the previous one.

Right, but from a Twins perspective, (or the perspective of one of their fans) they're getting four young guys for a player who wasn't going to be with them from 2009 on. That should lessen the anguish somewhat. It may not have been the best deal that the Twins could have made, and it could put a big dent in their hopes for 2008 (whatever those hopes might have been) but the Twins will be better positioned in 2009 by making this deal than they would have been if they hadn't. (I'm not factoring in the possibility of a July 31 deal, which might have been very problematic.)

That last paragraph contains an important point. While the Mets are probably getting five to seven years of Santana, the Twins are only giving up one of those years.

All I'm saying is that it hasn't happened yet. And it will be nice when it finally does.

I read the print copy of the Daily News this morning, and it wasn't ALL about the Yankees at all. One writer did say that the Mets wouldn't have been able to do this deal if the Yankees had stepped up. It's really hard to dispute that point, though. The same is probably true of the signings of Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. Hopefully some day soon we'll see a transaction where the Mets will get a player that both they and the Yankees desperately wanted. That is hasn't happened yet is a sign that the Yankees are still the power to be reckoned with in this town.

"One of the best players in franchise history." That's saying a lot! Walter Johnson pitched for that franchise!

Marty Noble wrote: In a development like few others in franchise history, the Mets have put themselves in position to change the dynamic of their team, their upcoming season, their place in the New York sports spectrum and their foreseeable future.

He's 29. Barring injury (which is possible for anyone of any age) he should have at least five quality years in him. And if he doesn't, he doesn't. Any deal has some risk, but this was certainly one worth taking.

]What if all of these players reach their full potential? That's a slim hope to hang your hat on.

You felt the same way about Mike Jacobs. Would you really rather have Kevin Mulvey than Johan Santana?

This is about the only thing that would be able to knock the Giants off the back pages four days before the Super Bowl.

I thought he didn't want Santana because of Bush-Clinton-Bush.

Very pleased! (Not as pleased as Elster, but very pleased nonetheless!)

No loss. But I do like AG's idea.

Yes, the bigger risk, I think, in the proposed deal is the financial part, not the talent part.

Could today be the day? Twins ask for last offers, with decision coming soon By Buster Olney ESPN The Magazine Executives involved in the Johan Santana trade talks expect the Minnesota Twins to make their decision soon, perhaps as early as Tuesday, on what they intend to do with the left-handed superstar, after the team asked on Monday for last and best offers from teams involved in the trade talks. The Twins could weigh the offers and decide to keep Santana into spring training, in the hope that a more aggressive market for the left-hander develops. For instance: If Andy Pettitte's involvement in the Roger Clemens-Mitchell report case seems to be distracting the left-hander, Hank Steinbrenner -- who has been the most prominent member of the Yankees organization in favor of making a Santana trade -- could spur the team to give the Twins the package they have requested, which includes pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Or if the Red Sox suffered multiple pitching injuries, they might push for a Santana deal. Or the Twins, who just signed Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer to extensions totaling $104 million, might prefer to turn the page and make a deal now. The Mets have the most obvious need for Santana and reason to be the most aggressive, and have indicated a willingness to offer a package of four or five players. The Red Sox have talked in the past about deals built around either pitcher Jon Lester or center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Two sources involved in the discussions say the Red Sox have indicated they won't trade Lester, and another highly placed source says Lester remains on the table. A fourth says the Red Sox are willing to deal Lester only in a package with little window dressing -- in other words, Lester and Coco Crisp and little else. It's unclear, as well, whether the Red Sox would be willing to offer Santana a deal close to the six-year, $150 million package he will seek in order to approve the trade. Santana has a full no-trade clause and will want an extension in order to approve the deal. The Twins offered him a four-year, $80 million deal, beyond the $13.25 million he is slated to make in 2008. The Yankees appear to be not presently engaged whatsoever in the Santana talks.

The man is clearly looking for a lot of cheese.