Twins Give Santana to Grateful Mets
Okay, look, the Johan Santana deal hasn’t been finalized, but I’m not going to be the last person to comment on it. What? I’m too late?
The New York Mets have extracted stolen acquired Santana from the Minnesota Twins for a glass of water some magic beans four prospects.
I jest, of course, to make a point. The prospects headed to Minnesota — outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra — aren’t bad, but they also aren’t Philip Hughes. The question I have for the Twins is why they would blink now and give away the best pitcher in baseball for less than full value.
The market dictates a lot of things, I get that, but Santana isn’t a replaceable player. Like, if you don’t get Santana, there isn’t a real Plan B. The Twins should have been able to use this to their advantage, but they didn’t.
Don’t like the market now? Hey, here’s a thought: Wait a few months and see how some of those teams feel when they’re in the thick of a pennant race. Or crazier still, hang onto Santana if you find yourself in the hunt come July.
But enough of my sniping. The Twins got hosed and everyone knows it, including the Twins (regardless of what spin they might try to give). Let’s take a look at what they got in return for Santana:
Carlos Gomez
The Baseball America Prospect Handbook 2007 listed Gomez as the Mets’ #3 prospect. He’s a fast outfielder with a strong arm and plate discipline issues. The good news is that Gomez is 22 years old. The bad news is that, although he might become an impact player, he’s not there yet. Gomez has promise, but not nearly enough to make him the centerpiece of a package for the world’s best pitcher.
Philip Humber
BAPH ‘07 had Humber ranked #4 among Mets prospects. Humber is a former first-round pick who has battled injuries. He’s 25 and probably ready for a shot at a big-league rotation, but his ceiling isn’t super high.
Kevin Mulvey
Mulvey is a strike thrower who keeps the ball in the park. BA had him ranked #6 coming into 2007. His low strikeout numbers (6.53 K/9 at Double-A Binghamton last year) suggest a back-end type of guy.
Deolis Guerra
BAPH ‘07 listed Guerra as the Mets’ #5 prospect. The good news is that he held his own in the Florida State League at age 18. The bad news is that so did Jose Pett many moons ago. Am I suggesting that Guerra is the new Pett? No. My point is that a lot can go wrong between there and here.
Jim Callis at BA has more info on the prospects headed to Minnesota, but ultimately reaches the same, inevitable conclusion: assuming the trade goes through, the Twins hurt themselves in the short term without receiving enough long-term value to offset the loss of Santana.
Tags: baseball, carlos gomez, deolis guerra, johan santana, kevin mulvey, minnesota twins, mlb, new-york-mets, philip humberRelated Stories
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8 opinions for Twins Give Santana to Grateful Mets
Rain Delay
Jan 31, 2008 at 10:15 am
According to John Sickels and his 50/50 list (50 best hitting prospects/pitching prospects). Gomez ranks in at #49. Humber didn’t make the list on the pitchers side. Mulvey checks in at #32 and Guerra checks in at #23.
Geoff Young
Jan 31, 2008 at 10:26 am
Thanks, RD, for the additional info. What a disappointing time for Twins fans.
Rain Delay
Jan 31, 2008 at 10:41 am
No problemo! And you’re right, I think that the Twins sold low on this trade.
Though what bugs me is all the ‘talking heads’, thinks this trade makes the Mets unstoppable a favor to win the NL East and get a tickets stamped straight to the World Series. As a Braves fan, I tend to disagree with this thinking.
I’ve always been of the thinking that, one man no matter how great he is doesn’t make the team. Beyond Santana, the Mets have a few questions in the rotation. Some seem to think that Pedro is just going to go back to being Pedro…hello..he only pitched 28 innings last year and has a shoulder thats ready to fly off at any time.
And the Mets were favored last year to win the East and we all know how that went. Yes, I’m a tad nervous about the Mets but at the same time..I think that the Braves didn’t do to shabby this off season, though I’m still not happy with the Kotsay trade..it baffles me.
anthony
Jan 31, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Wow, I didn’t realize the deal was that weak. How do you trade Santana and not get the other team’s #1 prospect (whoever that is)? Were they just going for quantity over quality? They should have just traded him straight up for Hughes.
Geoff Young
Feb 1, 2008 at 9:49 am
Agreed, RD, to a point. Santana essentially replaces Glavine in the rotation, which is a substantial upgrade (no offense to Glavine). This doesn’t make the Mets a slam dunk in the East, but it makes their case much stronger. And of course, whoever ends up winning will have to deal with the West. ;-)
Anthony: From the outside, it looks like the decision makers had committed to moving Santana, which killed their leverage. Once the Yankees called their bluff, the Mets swooped in and Minnesota decided that, since they’d already decided on that course of action, something was better than nothing. I don’t know what went on behind closed doors of course, but that’s what it looks like from here: pure panic.
Rain Delay
Feb 1, 2008 at 11:17 am
Honestly (and this isn’t sucking up ;) ) I think the Padres have one of the best, if not the best rotation in the National League.
But it just irritates me to no end, that now everyone thinks that basically the Mets can now fore go the regular season and head straight to the playoffs..
Geoff Young
Feb 1, 2008 at 11:47 am
No kidding. Who do they think they are, the Red Sox/Yankees? ;-)
Mets Extend Santana
Feb 2, 2008 at 11:39 am
[…] The New York Mets have signed Johan Santana to a 6-year, $137.5 million deal, which means that the trade with Minnesota is on and the Twins are hosed. Incentives could kick the total value of his contract to $150 […]
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