Mets Get Santana

[Eddiey]

The Mets apparently have won the Santana sweepstakes. See attached story.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...-santana_N.htm

[metfan13]

The Mets apparently have won the Santana sweepstakes. See attached story.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...-santana_N.htm

Yep, we've noticed. (See other threads)

[PhenomJoba]

Yep, we've noticed. (See other threads)

You don't think something like this is worthy of its own thread?

[metfan13]

You don't think something like this is worthy of its own thread?

Hell if I care, make five.

[KCGHOST]

Heck of a deal for the Mets if Santana stays healthy. They didn't give up a single blue chipper.

[freshprince85]

THANK GOD, IT´S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

Omar, marry me!!!

Outstanding job!

Now go and sign him, even if it´s $25m/year

edit: wondering that sites lige metsblog.com or mlbtraderumors.com still running

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

[freshprince85]

well, in germany it#s now 6 minutes after midnight.
This was one of my happiest days in my life: my german soccer club won in a heartbead game, and we lant santana.

good night everyone, i'm dreaming about opening day, first pitch by #57 ... perfect game

[NYMets523]

Santana probably won't pitch Opening Day. They have 2 road series before. If it's Sanatana-Pedro-Perez-Maine-El Duque, we'll have Pedro pitching opening day (and he deserves it). Santana will get an enormous applause when they introduce the team.

[ChrisLDuncan]

I would have Santana pitch the home opener. This will definitely sell a few season ticket packages for Citi Field. They should have him open the new park for sure.

[ChrisLDuncan]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=738

[Dalkowski110]

I agree with the analysis there; he's not going to be 1965 Sandy Koufax, my only quibble is 25 homers being just a tad high. However, as mentioned, the keys here are WARP and VORP (not familiar with SuperVORP but it looks interesting from what the BBProspectus explanation had to say about it). The "replacement players" in this particular case are the likes of a not-yet-ready Mike Pelfrey, a washed up Brian Lawrence, and one start each from an even more washed up Chan-Ho Park and a green and nervous Philip Humber.

[Boston Boxer]

wow, the Mets really stuck it to the Twins in this deal...what a trade!

[Ralph Zig Tyko]

Omar has a tremendous advantage. He was educated at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, New York.

[Mike27]

Congrats Mets. Great trade for you guys imo. And you kept Santana away from the Sox (and Yanks).

I can't wait to see the size of this contract.

[NJMetfan4life]

Please exuse me from posting for tonight, I must gloat, wet myself, and shreik like a school girl 10 minutes before her first date.

[Mr. Met]

This thins out the outfield a tad but it's hard not to be giddy tonite.

[jsmets92]

This looks very good right now.

[NYMets523]

They probably started making those at 5pm today.

[Jose Reyes]

I wouldn't worry about Santana's high amount of homers given up. Of the 33 homeruns he allowed last year, 24 of them were solo shots. That's because Santana challenges hitters after he falls behind in the count even with the bases empty.

[NYMets523]

Interesting article.

PHOENIX -- It took a while for Mets New York Mets fans to believe it today. Johan Santana? At Shea Stadium? Taking aim at National League lineups?

As a Met?

"Here's the thing," a fairly obsessive Mets-fan friend told me within seconds of receiving a text message from another True Believer, delivering the news. "The Mets don't make those trades. They sit around and they watch the Yankees New York Yankees make those trades."

He was speechless from there. Mets fans? There is no need for speechifying, not today. Every now and again as a sports fan, you get a belated Christmas present, an early birthday envelope. Mets fans got theirs yesterday. Enjoy.

The Yankees are the ones who collect moments in January that are every bit as sparkly as the ones they've piled up in October across the years. The Yankees are the ones who get in play for the likes of Alex Rodriguez Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson, big-ticket trades of varying degrees of success that nevertheless set the hot stove ablaze in recent years.

The Mets? They are forever Eli to the Yankees' Peyton, kid brothers, little engines that couldn't even get a full share of the back page on the day they introduced Carlos Beltran (who will remain the most expensive Met ever until the ink dries on whatever contract the Mets and Santana settle on in the coming days), since that was the same day the Yankees introduced Big Unit Johnson.

Only now the Mets make The Move of the winter, The Move of the offseason ... and what may well turn out to be The Move of the history of the whole franchise. It doesn't take long to think about Great Acquisitions in Mets History, no matter how they've happened, either in free agency, trades, or via sheer dumb luck.

Here is what I'd consider a fairly comprehensive list, in chronological order:

1. In early 1966, Commissioner William Eckert picks the Mets' name out of a hat, giving them the right (over the Phillies and Indians) to sign Tom Seaver after the Braves had illegally signed him.

2. On June 15, 1969, the Mets trade four prospects (coincidence alert No. 1!) -- Steve Renko, Kevin Collins, Bill Carden and Dave Colon -- to the Expos for Donn Clendennon, the final piece of a miracle.

3. On June 15, 1983, the Mets turn Neil Allen and Rick Ownby into Keith Hernandez, the foundation of six straight years of prosperity

4. On Dec. 10, 1984, the Mets trade four prospects (coincidence alert No. 2!) -- Mike Fitzgerald, Hubie Brooks, Floyd Youmans and Herm Winningham -- to the Expos for Gary Carter, the final piece that set in motion the second World Series team.

5. On May 22, 1998, the Mets got themselves back on the baseball map by acquiring Mike Piazza for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz.

6 and 6A. Within weeks of each other, the Mets sign Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran to free-agent deals, thereby establishing that they will indeed go after big-ticket free agents with their coming windfall of network and stadium money.

I'll leave it at six, for now. And we have No. 7, unless the Mets intend to perform one of the great examples of self-sabotage and either cold-foot the deal or nickel-and-dime Santana during the next few days. Which can't happen if the Mets expect to retain a thread of credibility in New York.

Pennants aren't won in January, of course, and it beats mentioning that my Mets-obsessed friend lent voice to the ever-present sky-is-falling psychoses that plague all Mets fans: "When's the over-under on his Tommy John surgery?"

Not today, Mets fans. Today you are allowed to rejoice. You are allowed to pinch yourself. You are allowed to start dreaming summer dreams. Johan Santana will be at Shea Stadium this year, taking aim at the National League. As a Met.

[ElHalo]

Twins fans have to be kicking themselves. The Yankees offered Phil Hughes, Miguel Cabrera, Alan Horne, AND Austin Jackson... and the Twins instead take essentially table scraps? Unbelievable deal for the Mets, congrats congrats. You essentially took the Yankees' offer, minus Phil Hughes, and got Santana with it. Bravo.

[NYMets523]

The Yankees never offered Hughes. The Twins wanted a deal around him but Cashman enver buckled despite Hankenstein's best efforts.

[Westlake]

Twins fans have to be kicking themselves. The Yankees offered Phil Hughes, Miguel Cabrera, Alan Horne, AND Austin Jackson... and the Twins instead take essentially table scraps? Unbelievable deal for the Mets, congrats congrats. You essentially took the Yankees' offer, minus Phil Hughes, and got Santana with it. Bravo.

I doubt that was ever the offer (and thats because i'm ignoring the Miguel/Melky thing). I think the Twins would have jumped all over that.

NYMets, Hughes was most definitely on the table, it was the 3rd player after Hughes and Melky that was the sticking point. Twins wanted Kennedy, Yankees wouldn't budge.

[NYMets523]

I've been hearing lately that Hughes wasn't on the table. We'll find out more once this is official.