Well if you believe what Tim Brown from Yahoo! Sports is writing, then yes the talks are back on.
The Boston Red Sox reaffirmed their status as the favorites to acquire Johan Santana as the team’s top executives Wednesday evening warmed to the idea of trading for the Minnesota Twins ace mere hours questioning the merits of the deal, a source close to the situation said.
Red Sox executives, and particularly general manager Theo Epstein, had blanched at giving up four players and paying Santana more than of $20 million a year, the type of contract he will demand to waive his no-trade clause. With the New York Yankees claiming they had dropped out of the Santana sweepstakes, the Red Sox also considered whether it was prudent to give up pitcher Jon Lester or center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, the proposed centerpieces of the deal.
Internal discussion has affirmed that it is, though there is no timetable on the talks, and they could well last past baseball’s winter meetings, which end following the Rule 5 draft Thursday morning.
The parameters of the trade have not changed, according to the source, with Lester heading a package that also would include center fielder Coco Crisp and minor-league pitcher Justin Masterson and infielder Jed Lowrie.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, have weighed the implications of Santana’s salary demands and seem ready to move forward.
As I said on our radio show tonight, the baseball winter meetings have been one big rumor mill. With this being the only source to confirm this news, I am inclined not to believe it just yet. But yet, here I am letting y’all know what’s going on.
I also said this in a comment before that I just wish this deal or any deal for Santana would get done. I would think the Red Sox want a resolution to this soon as well because there are some pieces of the puzzle that need to be put in place. If Ellsbury isn’t traded, then you need to move Coco Crisp plus find a backup catcher, backup first baseman and backup outfielder although Brandon Moss could fill the combo 1B/OF role. Plus the Red Sox still have interest in Bobby Kielty returning if Coco isn’t back.
