MisterJLA is quite the populist sports fan, I see.
If the contract Santana received is indicative of what he wanted and/or was expecting, then the Twins made the right move. That’s a lot of money and a lot of service time to commit to a pitcher about to turn 29. Santana is not likely to be much of a bargain when he’s 35 and making close to $25 million. However, the move to the NL and a pitcher-friendly stadium should benefit Johan in the short term, and the trade really comes down to that: the Twins are a young, burgeoning team, built for the future. In the present, even with him on their roster, they were ostensibly still a few pieces away from being a contender. Meanwhile. the Mets are, on paper, one of baseball’s elite, and as an aging team with a lot of payroll already locked into the next few seasons, they were pretty desperate for something to put them over the edge.
So, the decision to trade him was the smart move for both. Minnesota wasn’t going to pay him, and from a value standpoint, they shouldn’t have. At least by trading him they can get something in return.
Now, the package they ended up with was certainly not the best one that was reportedly offered to them, and that is where the failing of Minnesota’s front office lies.
The Yankees should also share a bit of this blunder, assuming Minnesota ever truly considered trading Santana to an AL team. They could have more than matched the Mets offer without including Hughes or Chamberlain. Their attachment to Melky Cabrera is puzzling, in this case.
Anyway, it’s hard to argue that this transaction isn’t good for baseball. The Mets are a high profile team and Santana’s mere presence should create a lot of revenue, for everyone. Personally, as a new Queens resident I am very excited about the prospect of seeing him pitch(lament as I do the day the Astros left him unprotected for the rule five draft). He’s in an ideal situation to thrive, both individually and collectively with the Mets. Great players should be on winning teams.
Although, I must say, regardless of how it will affect the outcome of the World Series, the contract has potentially dire consequences on the free agent pitching market(already a pretty barren landscape) over the next few years.
