Rather than do two separate posts about the latest Johan Santana news and other Red Sox news, I will combine the two again because the Johan talks have heated up with both the New York Yankees and the Red Sox.
We now know the Yankees have upped the ante by adding Phillip Hughes into the mix. Now they have told the Twins that the following five prospects are untouchable: Dellin Betances, Alan Horne, Austin Jackson, Ian Kennedy and José Tabata. The Twins may still want Kennedy and Horne and/or Jackson to be included in the deal.
With the Yankees adding Hughes to the mix, it was thought that they could be the favorites to land Santana unless the Red Sox would offer up Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury. So far that hasn’t happened although according to some reports, the Red Sox may have made some changes to their offer to the Twins.
The Twins could decide not to trade Santana and wait til the trade deadline or let him go at the end of the year in free agency. I highly doubt the latter would happen as I am sure the Twins would want to be compensated for losing Santana. Plus they are moving into a new ballpark in 2010 and would want the best team possible on the field when they do open the stadium.
As I mentioned briefly yesterday, Mike Timlin is back with the Red Sox in 2008. The deal is a 1-year deal for $3 million. The Red Sox also offered Eric Gagné arbitration although he doesn’t have to accept it. He wants to go back to closing and obviously we have some guy named Jonathan Papelbon closing for us. However if the market isn’t there for him, he could accept the arbitration and be a setup guy for the Sox in 2008 *gulp*.
They did not offer Doug Mirabelli, Eric Hinkse, Matt Clement and Bobby Kielty arbitration. The Red Sox are still talking with Mirabelli and Kielty. However Kielty won’t be with the Red Sox if Coco Crisp isn’t traded unless the Sox did decide to trade Ellsbury to the Twins and they ultimately accepted. I don’t see the Sox including Ellsbury.
The Red Sox also signed Jon Van Every to a 1-year contract and added him to the 40-man roster.The roster actually now stands at 38 players.
Now with the teams and their representatives flying into Nashville today for the Winter Meetings, you can definitely expect Twins GM Bill Smith to be very busy with Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman. While I thought a deal might get done before the end of the meetings, I am thinking it may not happen because the Twins are being adamant on who they want to be included in the deal.
All talk, no action, on Santana front [Boston Herald]
Twins Look for Yanks to Up Ante for Santana [New York Times]
For Sox, winter is when they try to stock up again [Boston Globe]
Hold on — Santana won’t be moved easily, if at all [Star Tribune]
Meetings could bring Santana, Twins full circle [Pro Jo]
Johan need favors NY [Boston Herald]
Minnesota Twins GM Bill Smith isn’t worried about public opinion [Pioneer Press]
Sox offer deals to Timlin, Gagne [Pro Jo]
Baseball’s winter meetings: Big deals brewing [Star Tribune]
