Daily Archives: January 29, 2008
If you’re looking to kill time between Johan Santana rumors, go to Eric’s Amazin’ Avenue and play, “Who am I?”
According to a report by Buster Olney at ESPN.com, “Executives involved in the Johan Santana trade talks expect the Twins to 
make their decision soon, perhaps as early as Tuesday, on what they intend to do with the left-handed superstar.”
In short, as Olney explains, since the Yankees are ‘not presently engaged,’ the Twins will need to decide if they should pull the trigger on a deal now or wait to see how other team’s pitching staffs develop during spring training, and instead try to move Santana then.
…kill me, kill me now…seriously, if this thing drags on beyond pitchers and catchers i may have to punch myself in the face…
…as i have been saying all along, the Mets best card in this deal is knowing that santana prefers to pitch in Queens, as people close to him have told me, and as i have been writing for months now…so, johan, buddy, come on now…lean on the Twins, will ya…i mean, if you threaten to veto any trade made after pitchers and catchers report, the Twins will have to consider a move now…if you keep quiet, who knows how long this will take…which, while good for the Twins, is terrible for me…
…for what it’s worth, as i mentioned over the weekend, i believe santana and his agent may have made a request to get this process moving, but i don’t feel it was anything formal or threatening…in other words, not…good…enough…
Mets LHP Billy Wagner had the following to say during a recent appearance on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Report, when asked 
about the Mets off-season so far and how they rank when compared to the Braves and Phillies:
“If I was Tom Glavine I’d have gone back to Georgia too, I mean my family is there. I mean, I don’t know if I was being critical or just honest with what we’ve done…
“Losing Lo Duca and getting Schneider and Church, I think that’s a great move for us. I don’t think we hurt ourselves at all. Schneider is probably a better catcher than Paulie, and Paulie is probably a little bit better of a hitter than Schneider. Then you’ve got a Ryan Church, who’s probably, when given the right situation and confidence, he could turn out to be one of the greatest finds for the Mets in the outfield – he’s talented and powerful and athletic, and that’s what every one wants.
“There’s always a need for pitching. You can never get too much pitching. When you have a pitching staff that’s somewhat young and old at the same time, you’re not gonna get the consistent outings of seven and eight innings – so, you’ve got prepare yourself to have that bullpen that can pitch four and five innings a night and that’s what we have to do.
“I think the Phillies are probably the top team, I think the Braves are second and I think we’re probably somewhere like third. We have to play the season. But, that’s just basing it off how we played last year. But, this should be a motivating year. We really have to step up and quit talking about doing some things and just do it.”
…like i said last night, i respect and appreciate billy’s honesty…but, seriously, does a closer in new york really need to draw even more attention to himself than he is already exposed to…but, billy is going to be billy, i guess, for better or worse, and i suppose it is that admirable quality that makes his so successful as a closer, so, so be it…i do like the final comment, though, which reads, “We really have to step up and quit talking about doing some things and just do it,” which should probably be plastered around the locker room, frankly…
Wagner also discussed last season’s ‘collapse,’ how he and his teammates will learn from it, and whether or not his back hurt his performance last season, and whether he is fully recovered.
To watch Wagner on Hot Stove, go to 
.
According to MLB.com, C Johnny Estrada has signed a one-year deal with the Nationals worth $1.25 million.
Estrada was non-tendered by the Mets after the team acquired C Brian Schneider from the Nats as part of a trade for OF Lastings Milledge.
…the nats are quickly looking to back up their back stop after lo duca’s recent injury, and wisely so…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |According to Impactico Deportivo, citing the player’s family, the Mets may have told OF Carlos Gomez that he is not allowed to play in this year’s Caribbean World 
Series, as he had been invited to do.
…i e-mailed the Mets, but have not been sent back an official response…the best i can gather, from people connected to the team, is that the Mets were never going to allow gomez to play more than X number of games this winter, regardless of whether he is or isn’t being discussed in a deal for santana…of course, what else would you expect them to say…
…typically, when this sort of thing happens, my first reaction is to assume the player has been traded…but, there always seems to end up being some other explanation…unless you’re M’s OF Adam Jones, of course…
…by the way, i posted this story last night, but pulled it because i wanted to do a bit of research first…sorry if its removal caused any sort of frenzy…but, you know, better safe than sorry…
The Mets, Red Sox and Yankees all confirm that during the last two days the Twins have stepped up their effort to trade Johan Santana, writes Joel Sherman in the New York Post.
According to Sherman, it has come down to a battle between the 
Mets and Red Sox.
Of course, in a post to his blog for the Boston Herald today, Sox columnist Michael Silverman writes…
“By all accounts, the Red Sox will not shed any tears if the Mets get Santana and the Sox can keep their young talent, maintain payroll and avoid seeing Santana in pinstripes.”
Meanwhile, the O’s appeared quite close to trading Erik Bedard to the Mariners, but may have changed their mind.
For more, go to MLB Trade Rumors, who has been doing an outstanding job, as usual, following the negotiations step by step.
In the Daily News, Bill Madden and Anthony McCarron explain how the Bedard deal might make it harder for the Mets to pry Santana from Minnesota.
…i understand, but the O’s should get more for bedard than the Twins will get for santana, the same way the A’s should have and did get more for Dan Haren…i mean, bedard is under contract for two more seasons, while santana is such after one – plus he has a no trade and can essentially dictate when and where he goes…
According to Madden and McCarron, several baseball officials believe the Mets will get Santana, “But they might have to ‘flood the deal’ with players to satisfy the Twins in the wake of the likely Bedard trade.”
…first off, they’ll pay what they have to pay…and, again, if santana forces the issue, the Twins will take what they can get…second, and more importantly, Madden and McCarron’s sounds like it’d be a great steak house…
Nevertheless, Sherman quotes an official from one team involved as saying, “The Mets are legitimately in this. It would be a mistake to minimize their chances.”
Lastly, a Sox official tells the Boston Globe that he would not be surprised if the Twins end up making a deal this week.
Last night on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Report, host Kevin Burkhardt talked about the Santana Situation with Adam Rubin of the Daily News and Ed Coleman from WFAN.
To watch the discussion, go to
