The consensus seems to be that the reason the Twins haven't traded Johan Santana yet is because they haven't gotten an offer from anybody they think is fair. Or maybe it's just that they're holding out and letting potential trade partners try to outbid each other for their services.But what if it's neither of those things that are keeping Johan in Minnesota right now. What if the reason the Twins need to move Johan is the reason they can't? Nobody is willing to pay Johan what he wants.
The Mets think they have the players – Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Mike Pelfrey and Kevin Mulvey – to top the Red Sox' latest offer. The question is whether the Wilpon family is willing to write a fat enough check to satisfy Santana. Indeed, the greatest obstacle to bringing Santana to Shea may not be the Twins; it could be the left-hander's desire to make $25 million a year.It's hard to argue that anybody is worth $25 million a year, but if Alex Rodriguez is worth at least that much as the game's best hitter, isn't it only logical the game's best pitcher should be worth just as much? After all, doesn't the old adage say that pitching wins championships?
"No way," said one person familiar with the Mets' financial picture. Not when the game's richest pitcher, Barry Zito, is making a mere $18 million per. Paying Santana 40 percent more than Zito is crazy to anyone except the impossibly rich Yankees. Not even the Red Sox seem eager to go that high, which may explain why the Twins have yet to complete the deal with GM Theo Epstein.
If a team really wants Johan's services, they're going to have to accept the fact he's going to cost that much. Whether you trade for him now, or wait until he hits free agency, he's going to cost you $25 million a year. If the Red Sox or Mets are serious about keeping him away from the Yankees, they'll have to pull the trigger eventually. If they don't, the Yankees will have no problem paying him that kind of money after the season, and they won't have to give up Philip Hughes or Melky Cabrera to do it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-06-2007 @ 1:51PM
numba1stunna74x said...
KEEP SANTANA AWAY FROM THE YANKEES. HE'S NOT A BIG GAME PITCHER.. IN FACT WHEN AGAINST TEAMS OVER 500 HE BASICALLY SUCKS.. YANKEES NEED GOOD PITCHING..
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12-06-2007 @ 1:52PM
matt said...
No way, the Red Sox, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Yankees can all pay Johan, it is the prospects they have to give up that is stopping the deal.
http://www.fenwaywest.com
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12-06-2007 @ 2:37PM
Bob S said...
Santana would be a fool to agree to a trade this year. He can make a whole lot more next year as an unrestricted free agent when teams bidding for him do not have to give up players and their farm systems. The teams bidding next year will pay considerably more. Plus he'll have all the rich teams (Yanks, Yanks, Yanks,) bidding on him. He has to wait out one more year.
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12-06-2007 @ 3:46PM
tobrien28 said...
Santana or for that matter no pitcher is worth 25 million dollars. Pitching does win championships, ONE pitcher does not. A hitter plays everyday, but Santana only every five. People don't want to pay AND give up prospects. One or the other is fine, but both are a problem.
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12-06-2007 @ 3:53PM
LEW said...
IF THE CHEAP METS CAN REALLY OFFER A DEAL TO GET SANTANA, EXCEPT FOR THE CHEAP WILPONS THEN THE METS CAN GO TO YOUKNOW WHERE. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP.. THEY PAID 13MILLION FOR GREENE, THEY HAVE 26 MILLION AVAILABLE FROM GLAVINE AND GEAANS SALARY TO PAY SANTANA 25 MILLION FOR 6 YEARS. HOW STUPID THEY ARE. WHO KNOWS IF MINN. WOULD AGREE ON THE OFFER THE METS MAKE OR MADE , OR ITS ALL A BIG FAT LIE. JUST LIKE THE PHONY PURSUIT OF A ROD.
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12-06-2007 @ 3:59PM
James said...
I don't know why so many people keep saying Santana is baseball's best pitcher. He hasn't shown that in the playoffs. And though he had a good year in 2007, he was not a dominant pitcher worthy of $25 million. In my estimation a pitcher would have to dominate like Gibson and Koufax did in their day - when batters were afraid to face them. Fifteen to eighteen, I could see. Twenty five million is insane.
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12-06-2007 @ 5:01PM
Mike Rath said...
Lew Lew Lew----
You are way too angry and bitter---Try coherency in your next post......
P.S. Who is Geeans????
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12-06-2007 @ 6:09PM
Gary said...
He plays every 5 days A-Rod won more than 15 ganmes with his bat. Money is geeting tight in MLB maybe he will 18 million a year as a free agent
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12-06-2007 @ 10:23PM
Larry said...
Please let the NY Yankoffs have him. Another over paid stiff in the AL East playoffs just like A-rod.
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12-06-2007 @ 10:37PM
Coach Hye said...
I would love to see the Mets get Santana. 1) It will only help their rotation 2) Other teams won't have him. If the Mets really want a World Series shot, not only get Santana but go for another pitcher as well- Haren, Bedard etc.,Then you will have a good pitching staff, a solid batting lineup. It will obviously cost a lot of $$$ but , if the Mets' are talking short term to get to the Series, this is the way to go.
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