Yesterday, the word out of New York was that the Yankees found the combination of prospects and hefty new contract too prohibitive a price to pay for Johan Santana. That offered the Mets a glimmer of hope at landing the prized pig of the Hot Stove, but only if they included 19-year old Fernando Martinez in a package with four other prospects. The quintet - Martinez, outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Phil Humber - is made up of five of the top seven prospects in the Mets system, according to Baseball America. When you add in a new contract in the neighborhood of $140 million for six years, the Mets would be placing the next half-decade of hopes on Santana's left shoulder. That's a tremendous amount of risk, even for a general manager as aggressive as Omar Minaya, and it's why the team is passing on such a proposal.
The risk of not making the deal is almost as large, however. The Mets are running the risk of letting the window opened by the Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran signings close without winning anything. Yes, they're set to contend again next year but without an ace pitcher, are they any better than we left them in September? Whatever Tom Glavine's foibles, he's left a hole in the rotation that they've only filled with uncertainty. Play for now or play for later, that's the question, and how the Mets proceed will provide the answer.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-11-2008 @ 12:54PM
Rick said...
Maybe they should have kept Milledge to use in this trade, not trade him to get two unnecessary players.
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1-11-2008 @ 4:22PM
FELIPE MARTINEZ said...
I AM A DIE HARD METS FAN BUT LOOK THIS GAME IS BASED ON TAKIN RISK WHO IS TO SAY THAT THESE PROPECTS ARE GOIN TO BE THE FUTURE FOR THE METS ID SAY THEY SHOULD GET SANTANA AND WIN THE WORLD SERIES THEY DONT LIKE TO PAY AT ALL THEY ARE JUST LIKE THE KNICKS SAME COLOR SAME RESULT MINAYA U NEED TO BE FIRED
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1-11-2008 @ 5:38PM
Ralph Garcia said...
One player will not give a team a championship so both the Yankees and the Mets made the right moves. Santana may not have five good years left in him. Meanwhile some of these prospects may have a good 15 to 20 years in the majors. I know Phil Hughes is talented enough to become another Roger Clemens as he has a great work ethic and great fastball. It's just a matter of time before he gets great command of the strike zone. GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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1-11-2008 @ 6:01PM
Richard said...
Santana should stay in Minn. As a Red Sox fan I would love him as a starter but the price is too high. Ellsbury and other prospects is a high price indeed.
Good luck Mr. Santana!!
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1-11-2008 @ 6:15PM
Lou said...
Thank you Omar, Even though Santana's a hell of a pitcher. He still only out there every fifth day,
what we need is an everyday rightfielder(would love to have Nady back).
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1-11-2008 @ 11:45PM
Tiffy said...
Minaya always said it's all about pitching, well, here is your pitcher and you don't want to give up minor league players to get him. Get real I'm sick of all your phoney way's.
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1-12-2008 @ 3:45PM
LEW said...
DO THE DEAL GET SANTANA SIGN HIM FOR 4OR 5 YEARS. DONT WORRY ABOUT THE FUTERE. THE FUTURE IS NOW. SIGNING PAGAN ANOTHER IDIOTIC MOVE GIVING UP 2 GOOD PROSPECTS. PAGAN IS NOTHING./ STOP GETTING GARBAGE AND GIVING UP GOOD PROSPECTS. IDIOT YOIU GAVE UP MILEDGE FOR A 235 CATCHER AND AN AVERAGE RIGHT FIELDER. HE COULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD OFFER WITH SOME OTHERS FOR SANTANA, MANIAC MINAYA IS A TOTAL IDIOT
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1-14-2008 @ 9:07AM
LEW said...
THE METS WILL DO NOTHING TO IMPROVE THE PITCHING. MINAYA IS ONLY GOING AFTER ALL THE GARBAGE. HE IS MESSING T5HIS CLUB UP. MARTINEZ EL DUQUE ARE A BIG MAYBE. REPLACE THE GAMES LOST BY GLAVINE.
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