The Mets absolutely needed to do this, and the fact the Twins can't afford to offer Santana what it would ever take to lock him up long-term is too bad. Many teams in their situation have done fairly well by getting prospects in return, and hopefully some of these guys pan out for them in a big way. Santana finally getting dealt, to the NL, has to be a big relief for both Boston and the Yanks. It was funny how they were playing that one-up, call-your-bluff game all along when it was plainly obvious one of their biggest concerns was that the other team not get him, not necessarily that they, themselves, get him. The Yankees holding onto Hughes, along with having Kennedy and Chamberlain (and keeping Melky Cabrera, one of my personal favorites) doesn't make them losers by any means. It probably doesn't mean them winning a championship this season, but it keeps them in fairly decent shape going into the future (hopefully).
There is still a little thing like a physical to be passed You say that like physicals rarely get passed...
Thanks, BornIcon. Sounds like you made out like bandits! Now if you can just manage to innoculate Santana from whatever bug was going around in Queens the last month of the season!
You say that like physicals rarely get passed... I say that like the physical hasn't even been done yet. As soon as he takes a physical and passes it, then and only then will I celebrate like it's 1986 all over again. M-E-T-S....eh, I'm sure you know the rest...
it was plainly obvious one of their biggest concerns was that the other team not get him, not necessarily that they, themselves, get him I was never clear on the Sox' goal. It seemed like they just wanted to up the price the Yankees had to pay. There seemed to be a general agreement among media/ fans Theo would be unlikely to sign Santana for the contract numbers that were being bandied about.
From the viewpoint of Red Sox fandom, this is the "best case" scenario. The Yankees don't get Santana, he is no longer even in the American League, and Boston gets to keep all of its young talent. While most understand that adding Santana to the Red Sox rotation, even at the cost of a Lester or Buchholz, would have put an incredible staff into Fenway, the team is still pretty solid without him. Santana at his proven level of performance could become dominant in the National League. The Mets have to be favored now to win the NL East, and at the very least to make it into the post-season. Many think that the deal is not the best that the Twins could have made, but that will not be determined for a season or two, at a minimum.
Now if you can just manage to innoculate Santana from whatever bug was going around in Queens the last month of the season! Now why you wanna go there? Don't try and take the wind out of our sails. That was low, pretty funny and true, but low dammit!!
It seemed like they just wanted to up the price the Yankees had to pay. True, and I believe it worked. It would have wound up potentially costing the Yankees (yes, even them) too much.
I'm still a little shocked at what the Twins accepted from the Mets. I thought they had better deals on the table from the Yanks and the Sawx, but they went with what Buster Olney said was the fourth best deal out there at the time. I didn't think the Twins were that hard up for pitching prospects, so I'm wondering, did they just want him out of the A.L. so bad that they took a lesser offer?
Hello.... It's the METS we're talking about here.... No matter what they're always going to be the Other NY Team.
Yeah yeah, we get it. You love the Yankees. Anything else in your commenting repertoire aside from blasting the Mets and New England teams?
George Vecsey's assessment of the trade (and the Mets in general).
I don't know what to say to that Vescey piece. It's like he went to his editor and said, "I had a good time writing about what chokers the Mets were last year. Ok if I do it again?" "Santana for the departed Tom Glavine. That upgrade does not necessarily make them a better or more mature team for all 162 games this season." Good stuff. Glavine had an ERA+ of 96 last year in the NL. Santana had an "off-year" 130 in the AL. And he's 13 years younger.
I don't know what to say to that Vescey piece. It's like he went to his editor and said, "I had a good time writing about what chokers the Mets were last year. Ok if I do it again?" Yup. I was actually going to title the link "George Vecsey's predictably dour reaction to the trade." The Mets do need to be reminded about last year. On the other hand, reading Vecsey is like listening to your cranky granddad tell you that you're doomed to failure, no matter what you do.
Tom Glavine is one of the main reasons the Mets blew the division with their horrible streak at the end of the year. The guy was absolutely throwing glorified batting practice by that time. It got to the point I was actually worried for his safety out there, as well as that of his fielders. Santana could throw righthanded and have more upside at this point in his career than Glavine.
Tom Glavine is one of the main reasons the Mets blew the division with their horrible streak at the end of the year. Agreed. When they needed him most, in the last game of the season, he gave up seven runs in the first inning.
The Mets do need to be reminded about last year And what? You think that they forgot already? Any team that loses the way my Mets lost, just like when the Yanks blew a 3 game series lead to the Red Sox a few years ago to lose 4-3, remember that dchrist669, will have that in the back of their minds. The thing is, this is a whole new year, with whole new players and the season hasn't even started.
They're my Mets, too BI. I can remember watching them clinch the division in '73 and I flew home to go to game 7 of the world series in '86 (My dad, lucky SOB, was at Game 6 as well). And until they make the playoffs again, I'm going to remember the giant choke job from last year. 7 games up with 17 remaining. It was a historic tank job that people will remember 50 years from now, the way people talk about the 1964 Phillies now. So while I'm very excited about trading for Santana, the Mets need to understand that if they assume that they'll be in the post season because they got Santana, they'll end up where they were last year.
Good deal for the Mets - if it goes through. I thought the other packages that were offered were better. But it is so hard to gauge prospects. Good to see some of the East Coast pub go to the Mets instead of the NYY/BOS. OK Mets. Now do it. You're an old team with only a year or two to win it. No Excuses.
