Yankees Appear To Be Frontrunners For Santana - But Is He Worh It?

What is more important - the next five years or the next 15?

The answer would have to be the next 15 - right?

If that is true then the teams taking themselves out of the Santana seepstakes is what is best.

No, he is not worth it - not if it costs the Yankees Hughes and Cabrera.

That makes a huge gap in CF - not many payers have the range or arm of Melky and is a solid switch hitter batting about .275/.280 and is 9th in your batting order.

I know it will take talent pitching talent to get Santana, but not Hughes (or Champerlain which the Yankes said they wouldn't trade him). Hughes is just 21 and may be the biggest pitching prospect in all of baseball with a sneaky fastball around 92 MPH's, but has a devistating curve and has a few other off-speed pitches.

The Twins are interestedare interested in Cano, Chamberlain, and Kennedyas well.

Yanks already said Cano and Chamberlain are staying put so at least that is one good decision the Yankees made.

The fact is, the Twins can't sign Santana past this season - they are on the defense - not the Yankees. That is not to say they don't have to give up talent to get it, but lets put together a realistic package that would serve both teams.

To the Yankees:
LHP Johan Santana

To the Twins
RHP Ian Kennedy
Either OF Jose Tabata, Brett Gardner, or Austin Jackson
SS Alberto Gonzalez
IF Wilson Betemit

This is a win - win situation for both teams.

The Twins get a solid young starter in return in Kennedy and the Yanks get to keep Hughes.The Twins sure up their infield with Gonzalez at SS and Betemit at 3B (neither of whom would get any playing time with the Yankee IF), as well as a CF with one of the three Yankee OF prospects. Not to mention, the Twins are looking to build arond young and cheap talent. All four players the Yankees would send over each earned under a half million last season.

That is under $2 million for four players compared to over $13 million for Santana alone.

However, it doesn't seem like the Twins are going to get anywhere near what they want for Santana as they want not only Cabrera, but Chamberlain and Hughes as well.

That just isn't going to happen so the Twins will hold onto him for the 2008 season. With Liriano back next season as well, along with Boof Bonser, Scott Baker, and Kevin Slowey, the Twins are considered contenders.

So, the Twins seem to be headed to holding onto Santana for 2008, hoping they play as well as they look on paper and maybe bring home a championship to the Twin Cities and then either let Santana walk and use that $13 plus million to upgrade the team in other areas or try and negotiate something before seasons end.

They can also trade him at the deadline if they are not in contention but will surely get a considerable less amount of talent in exchange as no team would probably not have time to work out a contract extension - so it would just be a half season loan and then didn't only trade away prospects, but will have to contend for him against every other team in the free agent market.

One way or the other, it seems like Santana will remain with the Twins - at least to start the season.