[JOHAN SANTANA] Johan Santana Traded To The Mets; Rays Dodge Bullet
Johan Santana January 29th. 2008, 6:27pmUSA Today (via MLB Trade Rumors) is reporting that the Twins have agreed to a deal with the Mets for Johan 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; they have been granted a 48 to-72-hour window to do so. Santana has a no-trade clause that he will waive if agreement is reached on a contract extension.
The Mets paid a high price in prospects to land Santana, agreeing to send the Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey.
This deal has a large impact on the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and for the next six or seven years. Only two other teams were reportedly in serious contention to acquire Santana, and both reside in the AL East (Red Sox and Yankees).
If Santana had landed with either Boston or New York, Santana would have made approximately four starts against the Rays. Unless Sandy Koufax, circa 1966, comes out of retirement and signs with the Red Sox or Yankees, the Rays now have a much better chance to win those four games. In addition, either team would have just acquired a pitcher that would have helped them maintain their level of dominance for the better part of the next decade.
The Rays just dodged a large bullet. Actually, the Rays just dodged four bullets the size of Bigfoot, and hopes for making the playoffs in 2009 or 2010 remain intact.
Johan Santana Trade To Mets [MLB Trade Rumors]
Twins agree to deal Santana to Mets for prospects [USA Today]
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I never complain about low payroll or the Rays’ refusal to extend long-term contracts for big money to free agents, but this is one time I wish the Rays had deeper pockets.
I cannot believe the Twins accepted the Mets’ package rather than that of the Red Sox or Yankees. As far as I can tell, they got a young, fast outfielder with little power and mediocre plate discipline who might develop into a star but has done nothing yet to suggest it. And three pitchers, two with relatively low ceilings in Humber (who is damaged goods) and Mulvey, and one very deep in the minors who also is a huge maybe. And none of them have outstanding minor league records or a history of striking out lots of batters.
Imagine, if that is all Smith settled for, what the Rays could have offered. How about Jennings in place of Gomez, Edwin or Hammel in place of Humber or even Sonnanstine or Niemann for that matter, Talbot in place of Mulvey and Hellickson instead of Guerra? The Rays could even offer an additional player or two, say Perez or Mason. Would that at least match the Mets’ package?
And if the Rays then were willing to go 6-7 years at $20 million or so per, and of course if Santana would waive his no-trade, the Rays would have him when we were prepared to contend, maybe in fact in 2008 as it might even allow us to plug more holes by dealing one of our young star prospect pitchers for help at the major league level. (Suppose we dealt McGee and took on Nathan too?)
Dumb, I know. But this is one time that money is an issue and could have made a difference-assuming a lot of things of course.
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