Tuesday, January 29, 2008By Mike Steffanos
As expected, the Twins reached a tentative agreement with the Yankees Red Sox...
Actually, none of the above. Despite hearing all winter that the Mets had little chance of pulling off this deal, it is Omar Minaya and company that have apparently reached a tentative agreement on a deal for the much-coveted southpaw. I can't count how many times I read on Buster Olney's blog that the prospects the Mets were offering were "vastly inferior" to what the Sox and Yankees were putting on the table. I made the comparison at one point between what was being written about the Mets prospects to the scene in Animal House where the geeky kids were trying to pledge the snooty Omega fraternity.
I give Omar Minaya a lot of credit for this one. He gave up a lot for Santana, but it looks like a fair deal for both sides. Certainly the unwillingness of the Yankees and Sox to part with the cream of their system helped Omar to get his man, but his persistence despite the pronouncements of the nay-sayers was laudable.
I hate to see Gomez, Humber, Mulvey and Deolis Guerra go, but given that Minaya was able to land Santana without including Mike Pelfrey and Fernando Martinez is quite a coup. Sure, a prospect trade like this one could backfire in the long run, but I can't find any fault with it.
If Pedro Martinez manages to stay healthy this season the Mets will have a remarkable 1-2 in their rotation. John Maine and Oliver Perez move down to 3 and 4 with a considerable amount of pressure lifted from their shoulders. I suspect that Mets fans won't be subjected to quite so many dire predictions of disaster in the upcoming season, provided Johan passes his physical and they can come to terms on an extension.
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Comments (6)
But how will this affect Mike Pelfrey's development??!!! (mock seriousness)
Actually some combo of when-healthy-Duque and Pelfrey in the pen/rotation when Duque is down might be perfect for Pelf's development.
Posted by itsmetsforme | January 29, 2008 9:51 PM
Happiest I've been since the day they landed Piazza. Can't wait to see them get this finalized on paper.
Can't wait for the season to start!
Posted by Salman | January 29, 2008 10:30 PM
My first thought on reading of the deal was to check into Aaron Gleeman's website to get his take on the trade. Aaron, as many of you know, is a longtime baseball blogger and Twins fan, who actually gets paid for most of his output these days. Early in his blogging life he used to keep a "Free Johan Santana" box at one corner of his web page, as the Twins kept their best pitcher sitting in the bullpen.
Predictably, Aaron feels that either of the other major trade possibilities discussed, headed by either the Yankees' Phil Hughes or the Sox Jacob Ellsbury, would have been a better deal for his home team. Having said that, he doesn't see the trade of two high upside/high risk prospects and two low-ish ceiling/major league ready prospects to be an awful return for one year of Santana plus a first round and a supplemental draft pick. Not awful; just not the best he could have done.
The Twins will miss Santana. They already miss Terry Ryan.
Okay, enough of that. On with the giddy!
Posted by dd | January 30, 2008 8:19 AM
WOW! I haven't been this giddy since we got Kieth Hernandez. This has got to be the best trade the Mets ever did. for what we got and what we gave up I still can't believe it. I am eager to see him in a Met shirt and hat and a signed contract. It's a big WOW for me. Suddenly the sun is shinning in Mets ville again. Lets go Mets.
Posted by REV AL | January 30, 2008 10:54 AM
I'm so happy Omar didn't blink. Restores my faith in Mets-dom (as opposed to Mets-DUMB, I guess).
Bring on spring training, fellas!
Posted by NostraDennis | January 30, 2008 4:26 PM
Wish they would have taken Pelfrey instead of either Mulvey or Guerra, but I guess you can't have everything. Just get this guy signed, pray for health, and bring on 2008. Do you think they will still sign either Livan or Loshe? It only makes the rotation stronger, and gives Pelfrey some more AAA innings to hone those secondary pitches.
Posted by L. J. Phipps | January 31, 2008 7:39 PM