Santana Suitors

We find ourselves in the second half of the NFL season, with the NBA and NHL having kicked off as well, but some of the most talked-about sporting news is coming from Major League Baseball. Aside from the Barry Bonds firestorm, all eyes have been turning to the trade talk surrounding Johan Santana.

            The Minnesota Twins have recently offered their southpaw stud an $80 million deal over four years that has all-but-guaranteed Santana will be leaving the Twins this off-season. A deal of that size is a slap in the face for him, as the vastly inferior Barry Zito soaked the Giants for $126 million last year. If Santana walked out onto the open market today, he could easily get a 6-year deal worth $120 million. There are plenty of teams out there just dying to have his guaranteed low-3’s ERA and 200-plus strikeouts.

            Of course, the most obvious team to land Santana is the (nefarious) New York Yankees. After being embarrassed in the playoffs and delegated to a mere wild-card winner, the Yanks are looking to shore up their pathetic rotation. Of course, any pitcher under the age of 40 would be unusual for the New York but, hey, stranger things have happened.

            The asking price for any team, though, will be monstrously steep. The Twins have reportedly asked about several Yankee “untouchables” including Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. The Mets desperately need more pitching, but the talent they have may not be enough for the Twins. Despite these steep demands, it looks like the Santana will be traded. The Twins have already lost Hunter, and they will want to get everything they can for Johan Santana.