MLB: Hot Stove Time

[Stuie]

Man - that's a bargain for the Mets. Hope he has crazy ridiculous salary demands.

[snoopy369]

Nah, he'll take $10 a day (to ride the Subway) as long as they let him start every game against the Phillies

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hope he has crazy ridiculous salary demands.

Nothing really different than what he's been asking the Twinkies for. Not like the Mets can't afford it, what with getting Glavine's contract off the books as well.

[Ming]

Yep... they could have gotten more for him before...
I look forward to reading the Minny press as they trash Bill Smith.

[Arrian]

They will pay him insane amounts of money, and he will likely be worth it. He's as good a bet as you get with a pitcher.

The Mets have a different situation than the Yanks do, or the Red Sox. Especially the Sox, for whom Santana would've been a luxury. An AWESOME luxury, no doubt, but they're in really good shape to make the playoffs without him. The Yanks are contenders without him, albeit a step behind the Sox. The Mets needed him more, I think, and given the prospects they gave up (a collection of b-grade guys), gosh, it's nearly a no-brainer.

There is a report floating around that the Twins made an 11th-hour offer to the Yanks that was Kennedy+Melky+?, and the Yankees hardly considered it. If true (HUGE IF - it seems unlikely to me), that looks like a mistake (if - note another if - that would've actually gotten a deal done, as opposed to being an attempt by Minny to restart a bidding war). IPK+Melky+ a lesser prospect for the right to pay Johan 20-25 mil a year for 5-7 years? Yeah, I think you do that.

-Arrian

[Ming]

There is a rumor floating around that Santana isn't healthy... and that is one reason why Minny was trying to get what they could for him. Because frankly, it looks like a terrible deal for the Twins.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, if he isn't healthy, it'll come out in the physical.

[Ming]

Maybe... but maybe not. Some point to his less than stellar stats at the end of last year

[snoopy369]

Healthy now or not, I'm putting my $0.02 on Santana being injured for at least 20% of next year... it's just how these things work out

[Ming]

That's the problem with pitchers... they are more likely to be injured at some point during the year. Long term contracts can be a real problem.

[snoopy369]

It's not that pitchers are more likely to be injured, but that when they are injured it is usually more serious. I suspect position players actually have as frequent of injuries - if not more frequent - than pitchers, but pitchers either:
1. Injured shoulder - 2 weeks to (how long was Kerry Wood out/useless?)
2. Elbow Strain - short but sounds like #3 is coming up soon.
3. Ligament - toast for the season if not the career.

Pitcher injuries last longer and often destroy their entire career - an elbow ligament tear turns a curveball pitcher into a nothing, basically.

[SlowwHand]

Or a different kind of pitcher. Charlie Hough-like knuckle balls.

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Ming
Maybe... but maybe not. Some point to his less than stellar stats at the end of last year

That concerned me too at first, but if you look at the K's and BBs - they're right in line with his normal rates. Thus, there's a strong argument that the spike in runs allowed was just a fluke.

One thing that was consistent last year and is of concern is his HR rate. All of a sudden, Johan is giving up a lot of HRs.

And yet, despite that, he's still really, really good (especially if you believe that the tail end of last year was flukey).

-Arrian

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Thank god he's gone from the ALC... now we have to figure out a way to beat the rest of the team

Amen.

This should give the Tigers a few extra wins this year.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You know what else would give the Tigers a few extra wins? Finding a catcher who could ****ing hit!