Matthew Cerrone

Buzz: Lester, Coco, no Jacoby, for Santana
By Matthew Cerrone - Dec 4, 2007 9:31 am

In a morning update to his blog for the Star-Tribune, La Velle E. Neal III is saying that the Twins are mulling over whether to accept Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson from the Red Sox in exchange for Johan Santana.

Late last night, Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe wrote that the Sox and Twins had called it a night, after having swapped medical information for specific players, thus concluding that a deal ‘appears close,’ and could be done in the morning.

Edes and the Globe believe Boston’s final offer may be Lester, Crisp, Lowrie and Masterson, just as Neil reports this morning.

…get…it…done…already…do it…do it

…seriously, though, i’m glad i’m not a Twins fan today, because, as a fan, i’d be very, very disappointed with that return, especially given all the build-up surrounding this trade

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38 Comments »

Comment by professor met
2007-12-04 09:34:22

My thoughts exactly. That’s a pathetic return on Santana after all the hype.

 
Comment by mrosey
2007-12-04 09:35:22

Milledge for Schneider and Church seems like a pretty similar let down

 
Comment by franco45
2007-12-04 09:36:47

The Mets could offer that much.

Comment by kevin2elster21
2007-12-04 10:04:30

Exactly, but Omoron and the dumb fans here don’t want to give up the farm for Johan.

 
 
Comment by ravi3
2007-12-04 09:40:57

If Boston ends up with Santana, can we just skip the ‘08 season and give the Sox the title?

Comment by Steal Home Jose!
2007-12-04 09:43:57

My thoughts exactly. I don’t think I need any more “NL Champions” Mets gear in my closet.

 
Comment by Nightlife
2007-12-04 10:49:43

Yeah, playing the playoffs would be absolutely pointless if this happens. As much as I hate the Yankees, this is kind of crappy for baseball, the Red Sox are going to be unstoppable for awhile now.

 
 
Comment by JefJarrett
2007-12-04 09:42:47

Coco Crisp is garbage…..if this report is true, the fact that the Twins are allowing Santana to go for Lester and Crisp as the two main pieces is unbelievable. You really do need to get an Elsbury or Bucholtz in return. I’d almost rather go w/ the Yankees offer (if that offer was correctly reported)…..since good ol Hank and his empty threats of deadlines will still negotiate. Hank should learn to keep his mouth shut if he doesn’t mean something. Thats a difference between him and George….George woulda meant it…and A-Rod woulda been signing somewhere for a heck of a lot less than what he ended up signing for.

 
Comment by LenF
2007-12-04 09:43:00

If I were the Twins GM, I’d take the Yankees package as long as Hughes is in it. I think Melky is serviceable and Hughes is going to be a stud and eventually better than Joba as a starter.

Granted the Twins obviously do a great job of scouting young players and I don’t know much if anything about Masterson and Lowrie but I prefer the package with the prospect that is more of a certainty (Hughes).

Comment by christian warrior
2007-12-04 09:47:05

No prospect is any kind of certainty. That is why a prospect is a prospect.

Comment by LenF
2007-12-04 09:55:46

I’m just going on what I’ve seen and I don’t watch a lot of AL baseball. I’ve seen more of Hughes than Lester and I would feel more excited getting him.

Like I said, the Twins do a great job of scouting talent so I can’t rationally argue with their choice but I am just speaking from a fan’s perspective… I’d be more excited as a Twins’ fan to get Hughes back.

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Comment by napes22
2007-12-04 10:01:19

The Yanks screwed the pooch when Hank decided to give his no more negotiation speech to the media. The Twins have all the leverage in the world here, and Hank tried to make the Twins looks foolish.

 
 
Comment by mavicario
2007-12-04 09:43:47

A decent center fielder and a ??? starting pitcher….

It’s depressing that the mets can’t offer more than this in a package.

 
Comment by Terry450545
2007-12-04 09:44:04

I think people (yankees fans in particular) have lost sight of just how highly regarded jon lester was prior to his battle with cancer. He basically has the same “stuff” as hughes but is a lefty

 
Comment by tfc3rid
2007-12-04 09:44:08

I’d honestly rather the Red Sox get him than the Yankees…

It may not seem like much, but Lester is pretty good, major league ready, etc., Lowrie can play SS for the Twins this season and Masterson is very solid prospect…

If the Yankees would give Kennedy as well as Hughes, they would get Santana…

I’m not counting the Yankees out on this one yet…

 
Comment by boredatwork
2007-12-04 09:49:28

That is ridiculous…those players are nothing

 
Comment by boredatwork
2007-12-04 09:49:57

the yankees have better players to offer than the red sox for this trade

Comment by coldentoshea76
2007-12-04 09:52:56

They do- but are they willing to part with them? This is probably a better package than just Hughes and Cabrera if the Sox like Lester better and aren’t as high on Melky as most Yankee fans.

 
 
Comment by coldentoshea76
2007-12-04 09:51:04

I agree- this is a much better package than many are giving it credit for. The Sox obviously value Lester at the same level or more than Hughes, and they wouldn’t be out there alone on an island in that belief. Crisp isn’t great, but he’ll be an adequate starting CF for them this year and Lowrie should be their starting SS for years to come. Masterson is a solid closer or #3 starter-type prospect. It fills a lot of their needs both right now and in the future.

 
Comment by robmenna
2007-12-04 09:51:24

If this is what the Twins are thinking about accepting then why don’t the Mets just jump in and say Maine, Gomez , Mulvey, and a mid-level prospect.

Maine is a proven starter, Lester is not
Gomez certainly has more potential than Coco Crisp
Mulvey projects to be a good starter.

Comment by franco45
2007-12-04 09:55:10

I agree, given this report, there is no way the Mets are out of this.

 
Comment by tfc3rid
2007-12-04 09:55:13

I wouldn’t do it… A source of mine tells me that Santana’s elbow is not in the best of shape and the Twins would like to move him now while they can get maximum value for him…

 
Comment by whynot
2007-12-04 10:49:08

But that is how you see the players. The GM’s in baseball see them much different. We always overvalue our own prospects and downplay others.

Lester has 2/1 potential. And he’s flashed it in the AL East. Like somebody said above, he is stil considered a top flight prospect. Much better than anything we can offer

Crisp fills an immediate 2008 need at a good rate.

Lowrie is their starting SS. Another need filled.

Heck, at this point Masterson might have as much value around the league as Pelphrey, and certainly more than Humber. Right in line with Mulvey possibly.

We just can’t fill alll those needs for the Twins. Or really any team. None of our guys step in and can absolutely fill a
2008 need for a MLB club.

Eating salary is the best we’ve got going for us. Hopefully the Orioles want that kind of help and we can land Bedard.

 
 
Comment by therealsince86
2007-12-04 09:56:39

Maybe Omar can come in last minute with Church (taking Coco’s spot) Maine (Lester) , Mulvey (Masterson) and another B prospect. That would be just as solid of an offer. Then we would still have Gomez, Pelfrey and Heilman to trade for Bedard or Snell.
Imagine
Santana, Pedro, Perez, Snell/Bedard, Elduque :)

Comment by robmenna
2007-12-04 09:59:33

Twins would certainly want Gomez in the package

 
Comment by christian warrior
2007-12-04 10:02:05

The Twins are looking for a defensive minded CF to replace Hunter, no? Crisp fills that need, while Church does not. And I just can’t see the Mets including Maine in a deal to get a SP. With the premiums being paid for serviceable starters, the Mets would be shooting themselves in the foot by getting a stud SP at the cost of their #2. Not to mention they could probably net quite a return if they put Maine on the market himself.

Including Maine in a deal for Santana, Bedard, or Haren doesn’t make much sense to me.

Comment by therealsince86
2007-12-04 10:06:16

Church can play CF, he is a gold glove potential fielder. If they want Gomez instead, hey that’s great. I just think that they are going in Crisp direction because he can play next year.
I agree about Maine unless its for Santana and it allows us to save prospects to get another #3.

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Comment by stickguy
2007-12-04 10:08:36

Agreed you can’t include Maine. If they want to trade him, they should package the other guys for a SP, then trade Maine to get the prospects back!

And pretty much end up at the same exact place…

Also, keep in mind that Maine is the ONLY one of the 4 Sps set for the rotation that is under contract for 2009. The other 3 are all FAs.

For that reason, if they wanted to trade a SP, Perez is a better option. Someone would be desperate enough to give some real talent back for him.

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Comment by therealsince86
2007-12-04 10:14:51

True, then Santana would be the only one under contract and a hefty one at that. Your point is taken, however. Now if they would take Perez instead of Maine then so be it. I just don’t think that the Twins want all prospects, they want some MLB ready players.

 
 
 
Comment by therealsince86
2007-12-04 10:03:40

Oh and as for RF you trade Estrada and Humber for Kerns and Chris Schroder (takes Heilman’s spot)
Lineup
Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delgado, Kerns, Schneider/Castro.
Bullpen
Wagner, Sanchez, Pedro, Elduque, Sosa, Show, Schroder.

Then sign a LH hitter to platoon in the OF that can play 1st base. Maybe O’s give us Huff for a bag of balls.

 
 
Comment by stickguy
2007-12-04 10:05:06

Wonder if that post about his elbow has any truth behind hit?

That actually is a big danger trading so much for 1 SP, and one with a bit of mileage on him. Every pitcher is an injury risk, and if there is even the slightest issue with his elbow, this deal can burn you , big time, for the next 7 years.

yeah, you have to take a risk sometimes, but the question is, how big of a one are you willing to take?

The Sox though should jump on it, unless they think Lester, right now (or at least by 2009) can come close to replicating Santana’s output.

Crisp is more of a salary dump to them 9he isn’t even a starter anymore), and they seem to have plenty of stud prospects to spare those 2.

If it goes through, I hope he stays healthy and absolutely dominates the Yankees, then blows out his arm just before game 1 of the 1986 WS rematch.

 
Comment by Peter
2007-12-04 10:06:41

Why move Maine?????? He NOT the type of guy you move when trying to fill out a rotation, even if it is for Santana. You now have to fill Maine’s spot in the rotation, which, more than likely is a big step backwards. Your overall wins don’t really increase much and now you have to break the bank for Johan as well.

A boatload of prospects? Absolutely. I really don’t think this is far off the BoSox offer:

Pelfrey - starter with potential
Gotay - SS replacement
Mulvey - starter with potential
Gomez - centerfield with excellent potential

No Lester there, but good, young, controlleable players with upside.

If we had a glut of major league ready pitching talent, then maybe you think of moving Maine, but right now? He’s a very good starter for our team. I have him pegged for 200+ innings and 17 wins. He’s a core player.

I would have been more inclined to moves Reyes, whom I feel is the most dynamic oplayer in the game, for Santana, but only if we could have signed AROD to replace him.