Baseball Winter Meetings

[Bandit]

Time for a little Hot Stove talk! With a thin free agent pitching market, it looks like some really big trades could go down.

So who ends up getting Johan Santana ... or does Minnesota decide to give the Central a shot next year with him? (I say he's a Yankee by opening day, if for no other reason than it keeps the Red Sox from getting him.)

What deals do you think will go down ... this week or in the weeks to come?

[jrat33]

I heard today that the Sox are considering throwing Jacoby Ellsbury in the deal to get Santana. That would be a HUGE mistake! Ellsbury will be the next great centerfielder...mark my words. He showed just a small portion of what he is capable of in the WS. To get rid of him now, especially since the Sox have a loaded pitching staff already, would be horribly short sighted.

Let the Yankees have him. They have done nothing to improve their team anywhere else. They are an aging ballclub who is starting to play like a bunch of old men and their pitching staff is a joke. The only way they could get Santana would be to give up one of their up and comers (Joba...not likely or Melky Cabrera or Robinson Cano). Hank is going to make the same mistakes that his dad did.... sacrificing the future of the franchise to grab a headliner. It will backfire on them (them and the Desperate Dems.)

[markminn]

The Yankees, Sox, or Mets would have to give up a ton to get Santana. Since the Twins let Torii Hunter go and traded off top pitching prospect Matt Garza, it looks like the Twins will keep Santana, at least for this year.

The Yanks would have to give up Kennedy, Hughes, and a big bat to get Johan. The Twins are in the driver's seat this year, and I know they are looking for a Hershall Walker from Dallas type trade to unload Santana.

I hope Twins owner Carl Pohlad (one of the richest man in the world) can find enough change under the couch cushions to keep Santana long term.

[Bandit]

I agree jrat - the Sox would be mistaken to trade Ellsbury. They would probably be better off to either stand pat or go after another pitcher who may be available at a lower cost (Haren, Blanton and Bedard come to mind).

I had Bedard on my fantasy team last year and the guy was a monster from July on!

Funny thing about the Yankees is they should have given more thought to letting ARod walk. Those stats look mighty good in the middle of the order no doubt, but the dude's a washout in the postseason. They could have shored up a lot of holes with the money they saved on his contract.

As it is, they have a lot of work to do ... and they have to hope that ARod actually does something should they get to the postseason again.

[Bandit]

Markminn - Ken Rosenthal wrote in the last couple of days that the Twins may very well hold on to Santana this year ... especially since the trade with the D-Rays really shored them up. It'll be interesting to if they do that and go for the AL Central, or trade Johan and Joe Nathan and start retooling for the new ballpark.

[Bandit]

Wow! Tigers apparently just got Cabrera and Dontrelle from the Marlins. Man - those bats are going to mash next year!

The Yanks say they're out of the Santana sweepstakes ... but if I'm Minnesota, I'm looking to deal him and Nathan - so they can build for the future.

[JoinUsForCake]

WTF, Marlins! Now we have to settle for Miguel Tejada... HOPEFULLY! GEEZ! C'mon, Halos we need an infield bat!

[WalMartNation]

With Minnesota trading Garza and letting Hunter walk, it'll be tough to contend in the Central, especially after the moves Detroit made this week. Cleveland and Chicago should still be solid too.

Minnesota might actually get more for Santana if they wait until July.... if he doesn't get hurt that is.

[Bandit]

Wal Mart - respectfully disagree. The FA pitching crop is thin this off-season, and there's only a select few teams who can bid for Santana's services (Boston, Yanks, LAA). In my view, if the Twins can get Ellsbury and a serviceable pitcher from the Sox to headline a deal, they should pull the trigger.

The Twins aren't going to win the Central with Santana, so they might as well deal him and Nathan and start building for the day when their new ballpark opens (which should line up pretty well with Detroit's team getting too old to compete in the Central).

[markminn]

Oh yes the Twins can win the Central, especially with Santana. They still have a great bullpen. They are getting better bats in the lineup. With Liriano coming back, if he is half as good as he was before his surgery, they have a potent 1-2 pitching combo. All they need is Morneau and Cuddyer to continue to have a happy bat, have Mauer get back in the groove and stay healthy, and for the new players to do their part, and they will be contenders. The Tigers have a good looking lineup, but if they play like 9 great bats in a lineup and not a team, forget it.

[WalMartNation]

I've learned not to underestimate the Twins. by chance the Indians and Tigers nosedive early and disappoint, a decent Minn. team could be in or close to first place by the All-Star Break. If they aren't they could deal Santana for the moon to a contender. That being said, I know the July trade deadline isn't what it used to be, and teams have wised up about trading their farm system for a guy who could be gone in 2 months. Except the Yanks, Red Sox, and Mets that is.

[Bandit]

I think Leyland will help the players mesh - their biggest question overall would appear to be pitching. I don't think there's any question that the Twins can compete next year with the players they have - but is the risk of losing Santana with only a draft pick as compensation, or a likely reduced package in July - worth the opportunity to try and upset the 3-4 teams in the AL that would appear to be ahead of them on paper?

It will be interesting to watch things unfold!

[JoinUsForCake]

OK now what, Angels? We stockpiled starting pitchers and are short an infield bat.... doh!