Santana to the Mets

Alfonz24 · January 29, 2008 7:03AM

Just heard it on the radio.

Lots of happy AL batters.

envoy98 · January 29, 2008 7:13AM

Yeah, for 4 prospects. I'm curious to hear who these prospects are. Sounds like my boy Johan wants 6 yrs, $150M. Youch. Wish the Twinkies had gotten at least one proven young player out of the deal but that's what the Twins do. And they are good at finding talent, especially pitching talent. See what they come up with this time.

HighChopper · January 29, 2008 7:20AM

Oh well.

Smart move for the Twins. Hope some of the young talent pans out. Nice to dump the big salaries ...

Twins will have a decent year.

Mets might make the post-season.

WinPitcher · January 29, 2008 7:33AM

As a Mets fan i am happy.

Steve

clayshooter22 · January 29, 2008 7:39AM

Lets' not forget the main reason the Twins have been contenders for so long.....Terry Ryan.

Time will tell if the new crew, Radcliff, will do as well with their trades.

I hope it turns out... Never going to keep Santana's salary anyway.

CDsNuts · January 29, 2008 7:45AM

Baseball is stupid. Any organization would be thrilled to have a guy like Johan work their way up the farm system and become a Cy Young Award winner. Then what happens? He gets traded for more guys that may or may not work their way up the farm system and become stars, in which case they will inevitably get traded for more prospects. Same thing just happened to Bedard in Baltimore. The small market teams have become AAAA for the large market teams. What's the point? To try and compete once every decade and maybe sneak into the World Series, in which case the team will immediately be disbanded and you have to start over? This has all happened on Selig's watch, a guy who supposedly supports the smaller markets.

Lee

gumbyfan · January 29, 2008 8:26AM

Yet another glaring example of the game's need for a salary cap!

RonBurgundy · January 29, 2008 8:26AM

Lee is exactly right, which is why my general disdain for baseball has never been higher. Even some of the small market teams that allegedly compete - Cleveland, Colorado, etc. - the stars have to align perfectly for them to win a title because they cannot improve themselves significantly in the offseason. If I were a fan of Oakland or Minnehaha, I wouldn't be able to stand it......it's almost easier to be a fan of say the Reds or Pirates where you never expect them to do anything.

That said, this is good for the National League. The balance between the AL and NL has gotten so far out of whack that it's good to see the scales readjusted a bit.

Ron

TheMcgwireMuseum · January 29, 2008 8:58AM

I cant even root for the A's anymore. I grew up in the Bay area and they were my favorite team since kindergarten. A combination of them trading EVERY good thing that comes out of the farm system, and me moving to northern New Jersey 10 years ago has turned me into a Yankees fan. For awhile it seems the Cardinals were the NL Central branch of the Oakland A's because of the amount of players/coaches that went to St Louis. A lot of ex-A's players also ended up on the Yankees the past decade.

WinPitcher · January 29, 2008 9:00AM

Baseball runs in cycles the more things change the more they seem to stay the same.

Enjoy it for what it is. I do and I'll be rooting for Johan this summer!!

Steve

Clemaz · January 29, 2008 9:01AM

<< Yet another glaring example of the game's need for a salary cap! >>

Gumbyfan,

Being a fan of a small market team like yourself I couldn't agree more. At least your team is trying to improve themselves. The same can not be said here in Pittsburgh.

Lothar52 · January 29, 2008 9:11AM

<< Baseball is stupid. Any organization would be thrilled to have a guy like Johan work their way up the farm system and become a Cy Young Award winner. Then what happens? He gets traded for more guys that may or may not work their way up the farm system and become stars, in which case they will inevitably get traded for more prospects. Same thing just happened to Bedard in Baltimore. The small market teams have become AAAA for the large market teams. What's the point? To try and compete once every decade and maybe sneak into the World Series, in which case the team will immediately be disbanded and you have to start over? This has all happened on Selig's watch, a guy who supposedly supports the smaller markets.

Lee >>

.....by God men.....I THINK HE's RIGHT!!!!!

TheVon · January 29, 2008 9:15AM

I'm more of a fan of a salary floor than a salary cap. If big market teams are going to share their revenue with small market teams, those teams should be required to spend that money to compete rather than bring the owner's into the black.

gumbyfan · January 29, 2008 9:17AM

<< At least your team is trying to improve themselves. The same can not be said here in Pittsburgh. >>

Well, the Brewers are in a VERY lucky position right now. Doug Melvin and the scouts have built a fantastic team through the draft. The only reason we can field so much young talent is that we found guys (Weeks, Fielder, Hardy, etc.) who signed some longer term rookie deals. Look at some of these 2008 salaries:

Prince Fielder: $415,000
Rickie Weeks: $1,320,000
JJ Hardy: $400,000
Ryan Braun: $400,000
Corey Hart: $395,000
Yovani Gallardo: $400,000
Carlos Villanueva: $385,000

...and our farm system has a few guys who are only a year or two out. We have these guys locked up for at least 3 more years (and at a discount). So, basically, by 2012, Fielder will be in pinstripes, Braun will have a year or two left on his deal and playing for a big contract and the Brewers will be back on the cusp of mediocrity and disappointment. Still, the next few will hopefully be a blast!

bigfische · January 29, 2008 9:26AM

Braves aint never scared

TomGshotput · January 29, 2008 9:52AM

<< This has all happened on Selig's watch, a guy who supposedly supports the smaller markets >>

Was it Selig or the most powerful union in world history?

The Twins won the division four times in the past six years. That is hardly once every 10 years. Money may have the greatest impact, but doing things smarter than other teams is still a very close second

CDsNuts · January 29, 2008 10:10AM

You're happy with zero WS appearances in the last 15 years? Congrats on all your small market team's success.

grote15 · January 29, 2008 10:12AM

Let's Go Mets!!

F1ferrari · January 29, 2008 10:20AM

My Orioles have the problem that their stupid owner wants big names who are past their prime, or to get rid of every good young player that might ask for $15 more in a year or two. Angelos has made money hand over fist in Baltimore (is Camden Yards ever NOT sold out?) but he claims he can't spend the kind of money to compete in the AL east. I can only hope there is some substance to the rumors that he was talking to Cal Ripken about selling the team to him.

perkdog · January 29, 2008 10:21AM

Good for the Mets! Im glad that he didnt end up on the Yankees, although Im disapointed the Sox didnt get him!

TomGshotput · January 29, 2008 10:44AM

<< You're happy with zero WS appearances in the last 15 years? Congrats on all your small market team's success. >>

Happiness mush come from within, not the Minnesota Twins World Series success.

How many teams from markets larger than the Twins have failed to win the World Series in the past 15 years? Ten (with seven of those even failing to even reach the World Series), and the the six largest markets are all represented, with the seventh being the highly successful Marlins

gosteelers · January 29, 2008 10:49AM

Wait, I thought the only teams that existed in baseball were the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, and Braves...

Baseball, now, more than ever, is a complete bore to me. You play 162 games for what? To have 80% of the above teams vie for the title every year. Kinda sucks...

HighChopper · January 29, 2008 11:02AM

And remember Uncle Bud tried like hell to contract the Twins and Expos.

Selig = Huge Tool.

Why didn't he attempt to contract the woeful Brewers?

It's funny watching the weasel squirm around the Mitchell Report and steroid allegations. Typcial car salesman.

Why if I had a rubber hose ...

gumbyfan · January 29, 2008 11:02AM

<< Why didn't he attempt to contract the woeful Brewers? >>

If anybody should be contracted, it should be the Marlins. I'm sure their 7 paying fans would understand.

colebear · January 29, 2008 11:06AM

Although I am disappointed that the Twins did not take the Red Sox's offer, I am pleased that they received something because after this year they would not have gotten a thing. They are just preparing to be playoff bound when the new park opens in 2010. In the end Johan is out of the AL so the Twins do not have to face him and the Twins always come out good in the end, unlike the other Minnesota teams. I predict a WS championship in the next five years for the Twins, however I think this year it will be the Red Sox and Mets in the World Series.

ArnyVee · January 29, 2008 11:07AM

Same thing has been happening for years with my Marlins.

I mean, we dump anyone that has any sort of salary whatsoever.

But, the scouting for the Marlins seems to be very good as well. I mean, we pick up very valuable pieces of the puzzle time after time. I hope that Maybin and the lefty pitcher and the catcher that we picked up for Cabrera will be solid players going forward. We desperately needed a player in CF. So, hopefully Hanley and Uggla can continue to produce and we just need some solid pitching through 6 innings from our starters (doesn't everyone

).

estang · January 29, 2008 11:09AM

Time will tell on this deal for the Twins. The Mets are getting a great pitcher, but $20 to $25M a year for a once every five day player is too much. The Twins have good scouts with Tom Kelly and other stalwarts leading the way, so I have faith that 2 or 3 of those 4 prospects will pan out.

The Twins did spend over $100M on Morneau and Cuddyer this past Saturday and will move into a new stadium in 2010 that will likely be sold out for many of years if they just put a competitive team on the field.

I agree that baseball needs some form of a salary cap. I also agree that Selig is dishovled thinker and leader.

I love the Delmon Young acquisition for the Twins and if Liriano comes close to his 2006 production, they will be alright.

fandango · January 29, 2008 11:24AM

i think some of you are still living in the 90's......Today any team can make the world series, you just need good pitching (through farm system -Marlins or through trades -Arizona D-Backs) and catch a little lightning in a bottle (Pujols/ Cabrera/Matt Holliday)....

when the Marlins won their second World Series in 2003, it shot down the SMALL MARKET CANT WIN THEORY FOREVER!! it has been disproven....Pitching, defense, and timely hitting wins championships, not money.....

how has $$ done for the Mets? even adding Johan they wont get to World Series....

look as the last 7 World series matchups....nice variety there i believe, especially from the National League.....

2007 Colorado V Boston
2006 ST Louis V Detroit
2005 Houston V Chicago
2004 St Louis V Boston
2003 Florida V New York
2002 San Fran V Anaheim
2001 Arizona V New York

so some of you forget acid washed jeans and the 90's and come and join us in this new Millenium! ANY TEAM CAN WIN THE WORLD SERIES (except Balitimore Orioles--have youu seen that lineup ???)STOP BEING SO PESIMISTIC, small market team are cool

GO BREW CREW!!! GREAT SQUAD THEY ASSEMBLED---THAT IS HOW TO DO IT! when Selig left that team, it satrted doing better...

HighChopper · January 29, 2008 11:25AM

I love the Delmon Young acquisition for the Twins and if Liriano comes close to his 2006 production, they will be alright.

This is true.

Great story by Reusse in the Strib a few days ago about Young.

Seems to accept full responsibility for his past indiscretions and is eager to start anew.

Time will tell regarding Liriano.

tribefan4ever · January 31, 2008 8:06AM

I hope Santana stays in the American League.

Last year he was 0-5 against the Cleveland Indians.

Go Tribe !

gumbyfan · January 31, 2008 9:33AM

<< I hope Santana stays in the American League. >>

I hope PSA never goes to a .5 system.

SidePocket · January 31, 2008 11:40AM

The solution in all sports is to get rid of guaranteed contracts. You could then sign players for whatever you desire, knowing that you are not handcuffing your team for the next 4 years with a low performing, high paying "name" player. Pay for performance like in real life.

i.e. Adrian Beltre comes quickly to mind.

WeekendHacker · January 31, 2008 12:15PM

Is this going to help the Mets & their fans forget about the last 17 games of the year when they had a 7 game lead and didn't even make the playoffs?

Santana to the Mets

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