Why Trade Santana?

by Tyduffy

In a delightful dallop of divination, Buster Olney has stated that the Twins have received the best offers they will get for Johan Santana from both the Yankees and the Red Sox.

The Angels and the Mets could also theoretically sign Santana to an extension, but, let's face it. The Angels only open the purse strings for mediocre talent (ahem... Torii Hunter) and the Mets operate in some sort of la la land where they trade a big name prospect for junk from the Nationals and don't need a competent front line starter.

The Yankees offer would include young pitcher Phil Hughes, center fielder Melky Cabrera, and a second tier prospect.

The Red Sox offer would include young pitcher Jon Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp, minor league infield prospect Jed Lowrie, and a fourth player.

If you choose the Yankees, you get their third choice young pitching prospect and a decent young center fielder. If you choose the Red Sox, you get, at best, their third choice young starter, their backup center fielder who was one of the worst offensive outfielders in the AL last season, and a good infield prospect. It is hardly a king's ransom.

Why make these deals? Yes, the Twins will not be able to resign Santana. But, if this is the best they are going to get for him, why bother?

They can keep him for next season, pair him with Liriano and their young offensive talent and try to make a playoff push.

If they stay in contention, they can let him go at the end of the season and get the compensation draft picks. The value is at least comparable, and potentially better than either of the offers on the table.

If they fall out of contention, they could probably get similar deals at the deadline from the Yankees and Red Sox, potentially more if either of them panics.

Santana may not be pleased to come back to Minnesota for another season, but he isn't going to mope around, become a cancer, and torch the clubhouse or anything like that.

Neither of these offers are blowing anybody away. Why bother trading him?

Originally published at OddsandSods

TrizzAll-American

731 days ago

Score 0

i think that either they are afraid that if Santana gets hurt or has another average season then the value would go down, Santana is quietly demanding a trade or they simply dont believe they can contend anymore so they are starting to rebuild

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Kwitt11Varsity Captain

730 days ago

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ESPN.com is now saying the Sox are willing to put Ellsbury into their offer...(instead of Lester) http://sport...y?id=3138088

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

730 days ago

Score 2

I hope they trade him on Christmas so the obligatory Santana Claus headlines won't be so gay.

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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer

730 days ago

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So does Phil Jackson!

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Anonymous Fanatic #1

730 days ago

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if u wouldnt have put instead of lester in brackets i would have lost my mind in a good way

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MegECass110AAA-er

730 days ago

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The latest thing is the Red Sox, for some unexplainable reason, are now willing to part with Jacoby Ellsbury, who just last week was untouchable. I wouldn't trade Ellsbury if my life depended on it.

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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer

730 days ago

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For Santana, I would. Having Beckett and Santana at the top of the rotation means having two of the best pitchers in baseball going two games in a row. Then follow that with Matsuzaka, Schilling, and Wakefield. That's an impressive rotation. Pitching wins World Series, not hitting and base-stealing. Consider this, we won the World Series with Coco Crisp and JD Drew playing the bulk of our games in CF and RF. Why? Because we had good pitching.

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SportsGerbilJV Squad

730 days ago

Score 1

All a ploy to get the Yankees to unload as much as possible. They already got them to commit to giving up Phil Hughes, so we'll see if it goes any further.

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TexaszellerSoccer Kid

730 days ago

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I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about Ellsbury, not being a Boston sports fan, but what is the hard on that all the Sox fans have over this kid. I get that he's a good young talent, but every discussion board I read claims that trading Ellsbury would be the end all for the Sox. I guess I just don't get it.

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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer

730 days ago

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Red Sox fans go nuts when the farm system produces a talented player, and they go berserk when that player is fast. They start going nuts over how "He's a run generatah, he brings fiyah to the team."

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SportsGerbilJV Squad

730 days ago

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Ellsbury has quite the colt following in Boston. His actual value probably isn't as high. Better than Coco Crisp though, which doesn't say much.

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Kwitt11Varsity Captain

730 days ago

Score 1

True, although I would say Peyton Manning has more of a "colt following". Thanks, I'll be here all week...

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