The Mets will neither confirm nor deny a USA Today report they reached an agreement with the Minnesota Twins for ace lefthander Johan Santana. The deal is contingent on Santana passing a physical and agreeing to a contract extension. Santana is reportedly seeking $150 million over six- or seven years.
The Mets would have a window of up to three days to reach an agreement on an extension, and Santana would subsequently waive his no-trade clause. Santana would also come at the cost of the outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey.
Santana, the AL Cy Young Award winner in 2004 and 2006, went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA last year, and is 93-44 lifetime.
40 Comments
I think this deal without losing Fernando Martinez and Mike Pelfrey, is a tremendous deal…
Like I said in the last post, it’s not official until they sign him to a contract, until I hear he is sign sealed and delivered I’m not getting giddy.
I also mentioned that in the last post, good job by omar not to give up there best prospect, Martinez.
Outstanding job by Omar in not bidding against himself.
hi curse boy. see what happens when you trade for talent. there ain’t no bitching like there was when omar got your friend church. don’t forget to buy that church jersey. you’ll be unique amongst all the santna jersies in the stands. while your at buy a schneider one too for laughs….
it’s funny, I was on foxsports website reading there blog on this santana deal and all the yankee and redsox fans are bashing the mets and saying how the mets are going to over pay
a pitcher on the down side of his career, blah, blah, blah… If these same fans would have gotten santana they would be singing like a happy canary.
Who cares that he was 15-13 last year? He was a stud. With any decent run supoort he’s a 20 game winner. What if he doesn’t get the run support? He’s still gonna win 5 more games than whoever else they would have had pitching on those days. If you happen to pitch on all the days when your team doesn’t score and you still win 15 then you’ve done a great job.
what a job Omar.. well done
Best deal since Mike Piazza. What a great job by Omar. Congratulations.
I will never complain about the Wilpons again if they get this done.
Omar played his poker game just right. He gave up 4 when many reports said it would be possibly 6 guys. He did not have to give up his best position player and probably his best P. He did not have to give up any MLers. He did not have to give up Heilman.
This makes the whole team pitching so much better. Pedro does not have to be the guy. Maine and Perez can be less stressed and El Duqe only has to be the #5 starter.
Knock on wood that there are no serious injuries and the Mets are playoff bound.
Now to Delcos. Sorry JD but your comment about Mets being chumps? It would seem that the only chumps were you and the rest of the media that said Mets had no chance. Omar played you guys too by coming out and saying Twins wanted too much. You probably helped him a little to knock the price down. Thanks.
Omar is not afraid to go for the big fish. He get Pedro, and Beltran and Delgado for crying out loud. So he didn’t get Vlad, or A-Rod. He’s still landed some pretty big fish. You really can’t go wrong with Johan Santana. He’s as good a pitcher as there is. He’s a first-ballot hall of famer. An all-time great in his prime. Those prospects will have to be very good to equal his baseball value.
JD, give it up
“Santana would also come at the cost of the outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey.”
Cost? This is a steal.
Gomez might turn out to be better on the DR track team.
Humber-TJ
Mulvey-another Bannister
Guerra-who knows
Now to Wilpons
If they don’t make this happen they will have the most ticked off fan base you could ever imagine.
That is why it will be a go. They will overcome my doubts about wanting to put out the best, even after they don’t have to (ie., when the team is on an upswing and revenues are good).
Now to Omar
Maybe he is no Stick Michaels or John Schulholz but he made it happen when I was having alot of doubts.
He is also a lucky SOB. Twice now (Beltran, Santana) he could have been outbid by Yanks but they decided not to be in the game.
Taylor,
just for the record Omar wasn’t the GM when the mets had a chance to get VLAD and AROD.
scoopcoop,
good point, when the yankees really want somebody they get that somebody. The real deal is the yankees decided at the winter meetings they didn’t want to give up hughes and pay the money and the redsox were in it to make sure the yankees didn’t get santana, if the yankees wanted santana, he would be a yankee.
JD,
just ask twin fans what they think about the prospects they got from the mets. This deal was good for the mets IMO because they still have there best prospect in martinez and there best young pitcher in Pelfrey.
tomg,
I think Omar should be taking Theo E and Brian C out for a big steak dinner for not wanting to really be in the Santana sweepstakes.
The next big ticket item that these teams will vie for is Texiera. It will be interesting if Mets make a play for him. That will really tell me that Wilpons have come over the hump and want to have the best of the best. But that of course is a yr away.
scoop; maybe the steinbrenner’s really like Willie so they help him by not taking guys like beltran and santana. nah…..
delcos has been consistent. he has been against all big pay delas. he was against getting A-Rod as well as santana.
boy you are right scoopcoop if this falls thru over contract the wilpons will be despised. who is in the driver’s seast now SANTANA’s AGENT, owns the next 72 hours.
remember when Phillips traded for a certain great center fielder from Seattle who vetoed it because he wanted to go to cincy where he became a perrennial DL guy? so you never know with these no trade dudes.
Great deal for the Mets!!
Finally something to smile about when it comes to the Mets, after the way our season ended and our lack luster moves thus far I was begining to think this season would be about nothing more then Shea Stadium!!!! But now, if the Wilpons deliver, and they better, this move puts us back on the map. Good job Omar, now seal the deal!!!!!!!!!
I wouldn’t be crazy about a seven-year contract, but I’d be (pleasantly) surprised if Santana goes for five years. So the extension is really going to be about who blinks first on the question of years.
As for the deal itself, Omar did the right thing by being patient. Santana apparently made it clear he wanted to pitch in Queens, and wanted to be there before pitchers and catchers report. The Twins for their part got prospects that work in their system. They value Gomez’s speed and defense more than some other clubs might. They also brought back a high-ceiling prospect (Guerra). This wasn’t a bad deal for them.
The Mets got themselves a true ace… in his prime; a guy who should age well since he’s not overly dependent on athleticism or velocity. That they have other holes to possibly fill is, to some extent, besides the point. You’d much rather attempt to fill those holes from the position the Mets are now in-
assuming they close the deal-than the position the were in 24 hours ago.PAY THE MAN IN YEARS AND MONEY. He is the only pitcher out there worth a damn. As for Mets or Twins not verifying story, chew on this – no way they would let this leak without having some kind of deal in principle.
JD, I don’t get your ongoing negativity on Santana. He is without a doubt the best pitcher in baseball today, and this trade is a steal. The only possibly downside is the money, but with the network and stadium cash flowing, it’s not like a large contract for Santana will prevent the Mets from going after a guy like Teixera next year.
Scoop, why are you incapable of giving Omar a compliment?
He landed Beltran, Pedro, and Wagner. He traded for LoDuca, Delgado, and (hopefully) now Johan. He also made small deals for Maine, Perez, and Duaner (not his fault he got in that cab) that have paid huge dividends. Lastly, he locked up Reyes and Wright to deals that have turned out to be absolute BARGAINS (Wright’s especially).
And to respond to something you posted in the previous thread: Minaya has not wasted the last two seasons. 2007 sure, but not 2006. He struck out on Zito and Dice-K, but the Sox outbid everyone by a significant mount (Minaya outbid the YANKEES there), and as for Zito, well, I think we can all agree he did the right thing by saying “thanks, but no thanks.” Instead, they’ll be giving that money to Johan now (again, hopefully), and he still has his best pitching prospect (Pelfrey) and one of the brightest hitting prospects in baseball (Martinez).
If this thing becomes official tomorrow all of Minaya’s critics should cut him some slack (and the Wilpon’s critics too for that matter). This is what everyone wanted, and now you sit back and give Church and Schneider a fair shot.
To Rattling the Kettle (RE: Santana negativity): What’s not to like about having Santana on the mound? Nothing. However:
1. I think $150 million is a lot of money and I can hear them saying how their hands might be tied in the future.
2. I see the Mets having significant holes that these prospects could have filled either on the field and in future trades. That concern, however, is lessened somewhat in that they get to keep Pelfrey and Martinez.
3. And, six and seven years is a risk for any pitcher.-JD
Thank goodness I can keep my name with pride!! If I were a Twins fan I’d be cancelling my ticket plan if I had one. This guy Smith was dreaming the top kids in the world and he didn’t even get the top kid from our farm system.
keith, now that omar has done something good you want to forgive him for his bad moves. he did good he gets credit, he does bad he gets discredit. i really think the kissing of his you know what is not necessary. we thanked him for santana we don’t haver to thank him for the 2 national rejects he gave us. if this deal makes you forget what his failures last july cost the fan base then you are blind to his shortcomings and closed minded to his strength and weaknesses.
delcos you don’t have to defend your position. it woke this board up…..
You missed my point. Minaya has made some really big moves as well as some smaller ones that have paid off big time.
Sure, he swung and missed last off season both in free agency and with his trades, but his track record since coming here is more towards the plus side than minus side.
And I happen to think Church and Schneider are both upgrades over LoDuca and Green. If you don’t, that’s fine. My point is this: voice your displeasure, but let’s ultimately give them a chance and see if they turn into a Duaner/Nady or a Ben Johnson. I believe Omar has earned it. You say he does bad he gets discredit… definitely right. But as of now, everyone’s opinion of this Church trade is just that, opinion. It isn’t good or bad right now.
Lastly, what failures last July? Sometimes you just can’t make a deal. He made the Castillo deal (which I was not and still am not a huge fan of… they should give Gotay a shot) and the Conine deal (which I liked at the time, but didn’t work out.) The Nats were asking for way too much for Cordero, who isn’t as good as people think he is. There just wasn’t a lot out there. You can’t fault someone for not making a trade. It takes two to tango.
Ultimately, my point is this. After 2006, Omar was a genius. The battle cry was “In Omar we Trust!” After 2007, there were some who wanted him fired. This is absurd. A guy doesn’t go from genius to dunce in one season. Once is an aberration, but twice is a trend… or something like that. Basically, I’m saying that all of the criticism bandied about this off season has been a bit harsh.
And even though today is a very positive day where we should be excited about the Johan trade… I can’t help myself. How come nobody even entertains the idea that Minaya dealt Milledge before he turned into the next Alex Ochoa/Damon Buford… rendering him valueless? Is that so out of the realm of possibility? Is it entirely impossible that in his brief stint in the Bigs the Mets got together and said “you know what? We were wrong on Lastings… let’s deal him before his value plummets.” This isn’t possible? And if this is the case, aren’t Church and Schneider unequivocally better than the 2007 versions of LoDuca and Green? Am I totally off base? Personally, I just would rather reserve judgment on this trade until after I’ve seen Milledge in Washington and our new guys in New York.
JD
“I think $150 million is a lot of money and I can hear them saying how their hands might be tied in the future.”
If Mets say they have no money they are full of you know what!
Story in one of the papers the other day stated Yanks still make 200MM+ even w/200MM+ payroll.
Mets can’t be far behind w/SNY, filled Shea (and now filled Citi which they can now charge even more w/Santana on board b/c they will make playoffs), stadium naming rights, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc…..........
“I see the Mets having significant holes that these prospects could have filled either on the field and in future trades. That concern, however, is lessened somewhat in that they get to keep Pelfrey and Martinez.”
Holes? ok fine, but those holes are being emptied by guys who have a combined salary of 40MM+.
They ought to be able and go out and pick up an OF and a 1B next yr for less than that.
And hopefully Pelfrey will be ready to shine in 09 if Pedro is not back.
And some think FMart could step up in 09 in the OF.
That leaves 1B.
I don’t see the issue.
The only possible issue is if Pedro and El duque both go down. You only have Pelfrey now plus some scrubs I’m sure they will bring in.
You know, Sloppy, if you’re not willing to put your money where your mouth is regarding a Church-Milledge bet, I don’t see why you’re still opening said mouth.
Sounds kinda candy-ass to me.
JD, “And, six and seven years is a risk for any pitcher”
This is the only statement I agree w.
But you can say that about sports in general.
It is a big risk. Unless you have a team w/so much talent that it makes it near impossible to stink it up (Yanks) and therefore you guarantee playoffs and filled stadiums, and $$$ galore.
Yanks know it. Sox know it. Maybe Mets have discovered it too.
If I owned a BB team I’d follow Yanks strategy b/c it is risky but the payoff can be huge.
The Yanks revenue is more than 400MM/yr. Their franchise is valued at more than 1B. Steinbrenner bought the team for less than 10MM I believe 35 yrs ago. That is a damn good return on his investment.
In other sports your hands are tied and you have to be smarter than just spending $$. You have to be able to pick the right players and stay under a cap.
BB you don’t have to and never will b/c MLB knows that the big market teams bring in the big $$ b/c they have local networks. Other sports don’t b/c they don’t play every day or are not popular enough.
Hence, following Yanks or Sox model to me makes the most sense. And maybe Wilpons have seen this w/their big revenues from SNY.
keith, “Scoop, why are you incapable of giving Omar a compliment?”
I stated this was a great move. Iv’e been saying for weeks they should get Santana.
But as I said to Annie on another thread, I don’t drink the Koolaid when management does dumb moves.
Some signs this was going to happen
1-Matt Wise signed as insurance in case Heilman traded
2-No FA pitcher signed including LH this wk
3-Endy Chavez signed to 2 yr deal before Gomez dealt
4-Gomez told to exit DR winter league team
I’m connecting dots. Anybody think these are related?
Scoop—I thought the Livan rumors were completely manufactured to scare the Twins into acting. The idea that the rumor came out of Colorado, with no further corroboration from a NY paper or from anyone affiliated with the Mets had me thinking that it was simply being made up for the benefit of the Twins.
The other dot I’d connect is Angel Pagan. You can never have enough fifth-outfielder candidates, right?
Benny,
yup Pagan could be a guy to fill in if Church, Endy or Alou (inevitably) get hurt.
Yes, this long of a deal for a pitcher is definitely a risk, but this is where the differences between the large market Mets and small market Twins come to the forefront. Small market teams tend to invest their money (and long term contracts) with position players (see Cuddyer, Morneau for the Twins and Chavez for the A’s). Big market teams like the Mets can afford the risk of a Johan because it won’t cripple them financially (or at least it shouldn’t.)
And Scoop, you kind of gave a backhanded compliment. You said, “He is also a lucky SOB. Twice now (Beltran, Santana) he could have been outbid by Yanks but they decided not to be in the game.”
As for drinking the kool aid. Can we really call the Milledge trade a dumb move? Shouldn’t we see how things pan out before we kill Minaya over this trade? And I have yet to see anyone disagree with the assertion that Church and Schneider are both upgrades over Green and LoDuca, respectively.
I’m on record as being critical of Minaya’s activity since the Nady trade. He’s made some dubious moves. Some I understood at the time… others were head scratchers from the beginning. Like the Bannister deal. I personally wasn’t a huge fan of it, but I was able to defend it at the time. No one had any idea Bannister would have a season like he did. But I hated both the Bell and Lindstrom trades at the time they happened, especially considering Padilla and Duaner were both on the DL. His moves last off season just didn’t make a lot of sense.
Again, the ultimate point I am trying to make about Minaya he that he was seen as a hero one year and a scourge the next. The way I see it, nobody is perfect… GMs are going to make bad deals. I just feel like Omar has done more than enough good for me to cut him some slack on his moves last off season and his trading Milledge this off season. Now if things blow up in his face THIS season as well, then we need to start to re-evaluate things.
Lastly, it’s quite annoying to be referred to as “drinking the kool aid” when one puts forth a logical argument/defense of moves made by Minaya.
One more thing. Personally, I think this shows how ridiculous the talks of our “deplorable pitching situation” were really overblown. We get Santana and all of a sudden we have the best rotation in the NL? There are 4 other pitchers in that rotation WHO WERE ALREADY HERE. Obviously getting Santana bumps everyone down one, making them stronger starts in the 2-5 holes, respectively, but these guys were already good pitchers and I had/have the utmost confidence in their abilities going into the season. Getting Santana just makes them that much better by relieving some pressure on everyone from Pedro to Steven Register.
curse boy, i really enjoy bugging you. but i’m proud of you. you haven’t thrown the f bomb in a while. keep it up and i might buy you your very own church jersey, your pick of colors. I’ll even buy you a pink one of yopu want to give it to your sign other. Oh wait, the significant other wants a santan jersey! i can’t bet you for your cheese cake. if your taste in cheesecake is as bad as your taste in rf ers it would be detrimental to my health and well being to have you pay off!
anyway now that the off season is over we can start a pool to guess when alou will go on dl, think he’ll make it to April 30?
Candyass—err, I mean, Sloppy—can you come up with another four or five hollow excuses that will allow you to keep spouting a position you’re not actually willing to defend?