For the most part, it was a day of a lot of talking and no action in the Johan Santana sweepstakes so let’s take a look at all the days news involving Santana and the teams involved.
In the Monday morning edition of the Providence Journal, they reported that Santana would only accept a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox.
Santana, who has a full-no trade clause and intends to wield it to land a six-year contract extension from any team striking a deal for him, told the Twins that he would veto a trade to any team except the Yankees or Red Sox. He also warned them that he would not accept a deal in-season, forcing the Twins to move him this week or lose him to free agency after the 2008 season, when his current contract expires.
This turned out to be not true as Santana’s agent, Peter Greenberg, told the Star-Tribune.
The Star Tribune has just been contacted by Johan Santana’s agent, Peter Greenberg.
Greenberg said Santana is mad after reading reports that he’s ordered the Twins to trade him to either Boston or New York.
“Johan told me to tell you that’s completely inaccurate,’’ Greenberg said. “He’s upset about that. He’s put no limitations on (Twins GM Bill Smith) to do his job.’’
Greenberg declined to confirm if Santana would waive his no-trade clause if he’s still with the Twins when the 2008 season starts. “That’s a long way away,’’ Greenberg said.
Within that same article, the Twins were reported as being upset about these comments that Hank Steinbrenner made and were thinking of filing tampering charges.
“Because as much as I want Santana, and you can make that clear — for his sake, to know that I do want him — but the fact is that I’m not going to play the game,’’ Steinbrenner said.
It’s unknown right now what the Twins are going to do about it, but you have to think Yankees GM Brian Cashman might be a little upset about this.
Keep reading for more “As The Santana Turns”.
Even though it’s never really been mentioned publicly, it seems as though the Mariners were talking with the Twins about a deal for Santana but pulled out of the talks today.
During the afternoon on Monday, Curt Schilling weighed in with his thoughts about Santana over at 38Pitches.com.
A rotation featuring Beckett, Santana as the top two is pretty much as good as it can get. The thought of pitching behind these guys has to fire ya up. That being said I look at it like this.
If we make the move we’ll have done so with Theo knowing whatever he had to trade to acquire him he can restock those spots either from within, or via trade. How much is too much when you’re talking about trading for the best left handed pitcher in the game? How much is too much when you consider what he and Josh could do over the next 5-6 years.
Throughout this day, the Twins stated that they are in no hurry to make a deal involving Santana and were not going to be bullied by the big bad wolf Yankees.
Theo Epstein met with the media on Monday night and said that the Red Sox won’t set a deadline in the Santana talks.
“I think we’ve only done that when we thought it was in our best interest,” Epstein said. “We don’t have current discussions ongoing for which I think that would be in our best interest. We’re pretty content with where we are and we don’t think anything major is getting held up. There’s a natural order of things this winter and we’re just going to let it play out. If we think the dynamic changes or our interest changes, we certainly wouldn’t hesitate to put a timetable on something or other. But this doesn’t apply right now.”
The Red Sox should be in no hurry to make this deal. While adding Santana would probably make the Red Sox prohibitive favorites again next year, they really don’t need to add Santana. Even without him, they will probably still be the favorites to take it home again next year.
And last but not least, Jayson Stark from ESPN.com reported that the Yankees “may pull out of the Johan Santana talks for good.”
“I want to get it done by tonight, one way or another,” Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said, according to The Associated Press. “I’m waiting for a meeting in Nashville, and then Brian will give me a call.”
According to baseball officials who were aware of the talks, the Twins again asked the Yankees on Monday night for pitcher Ian Kennedy — a pitcher the Yankees have insisted for several days that they wouldn’t trade — as the third player in their proposed deal. The Yankees apparently turned down that proposal immediately.
Within that article he also stated that the Red Sox are no closer to a deal with the Twins either.
So a full day of pretty much nothing but a lot of hot air coming out of the first day of Winter Meetings on the Santana front.
Update: Just saw this come across on the feeds.
The Yankees remained Santana’s most likely destination into the evening, because they have just enough disposable prospects to get him and all of the disposable income to carry the resulting contract extension.
Said one general manager: “I don’t think Boston’s really for real in that.”
Indeed, by late Monday night, a Red Sox official believed the Yankees and Twins were “very close” to completing the trade.
Whether or not this is true who knows. There’s too many stories out there to know what is what anymore. Stark says the deal is dead with the Yankees while this dude from Yahoo! Sports says the deal might be consummated tonight. I guess we will find out overnight or into the morning if this report is true or not.
