With the Major League Baseball offseason in full bloom there is one name on trade blocks that stands out above all other names: two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana. Filling in for Trever Fehrenbach and Dan Greenwell this week is sports editor Bob Prescott and editor in chief Ben Corn.
Corn: The Twins should trade Johan Santana, there is no doubt. He has made it clear he feels like the Twins are not dedicated to winning now and, thus, he wants out. Santana's contract is up after this year, and the Twins need to think about their future. With Francisco Liriano coming back, their rotation will be strong. They need a better lineup.
The Twins' current lineup, which was the team's problem last year even with outfielder Torii Hunter, consists of Joe Mauer, a solid hitter who will need many days off due to the fact that he's a catcher, Justin Morneau, the obvious heavy-hitter of the team and former AL MVP and Michael Cuddyer, a solid outfielder who, on many teams, would be a No. 6 hitter. Besides those three guys, there is no proven hitter.
The Twins just added last year's rookie-of-the-year runner-up outfielder Delmon Young from the Rays along with infielder Brendan Harris and outfielder Jason Pridie for pitcher Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett. Although Garza is a bright young player, this is a good trade for the Twins.
Actually, this helps both teams, but that's a story for another time. By adding such a good, young player in Young, the Twins are showing their commitment to improve in the future, and trading Santana can help to progress that.
Prescott: First of all, the Twins rotation is not that strong. It will get much stronger with the addition of Liriano, but losing Santana will be a bigger blow than losing Liriano was in 2006. Santana is a leader on that rotation, and relying on a second-year pitcher coming off of Tommy John surgery to be the ace and anchor of your rotation might be asking too much.
Liriano hasn't even lasted a full year in the majors yet, and now he is being counted on to lead the rotation?
It was the strong pitching of the Santana-Liriano combo that led the Twins to the top of the AL Central, now being considered one of the toughest divisions in baseball, in 2006, not the amazing lineup. It was after they lost Liriano that they began to fall out of contention. The same thing will happen if they get rid of Santana.
Corn: I think the Twins have many young guys who need spots in the rotation including Scott Baker, who almost threw a perfect game last season; reliever Pat Neshek has the stamina to be a starter and can handle it; Kevin Slowey posted a decent ERA last season with a winning record; Carlos Silva is a solid middle of the rotation guy; Boof Bonser is still young and can form a decent career, and if they can add another arm, their rotation will be very solid. Liriano should come back in good form; he seems to be really on top of his game and has a good head on his shoulders.
A strong lineup can carry a team to the playoffs, but cannot win in the playoffs, right, Yankees? The Twins have enough of a strong rotation to win in the playoffs with a good bullpen including closer Joe Nathan, setup man Juan Rincon and Neshek if he's not moved as a starter. They need a couple bats to get them there. Jason Kubel is not enough.
Prescott: The Twins might also be losing Nathan in a trade, according to reports in St. Paul, as he is set to become a free agent after the 2008 season, and the Twins plan to use Neshek or Rincon as their closer. Just ask the Cardinals, how many blows can a pitching staff take and stay competitive?
To be able to make this deal worthwhile to the Twins, they would need to get a decent starter back in the trade, as well as some solid position players. Who's going to make a deal like this?
Keep in mind, Santana has a no-trade clause in his contract. His agent has repeatedly said that for Santana to waive this clause, the team would have to be willing to offer a contract extension that would eclipse the Barry Zito contract of last offseason. So not only does a team have to shell out prime prospects with a decent starter, but they need to shell out $150 million over six years on top of the $13.25 million he will receive next year.
They could do this same deal next year when he hits the open market and save the prospects. Are those prospects worth getting Santana a year early when you could get Santana next year for the money he demands now?
Corn: Santana is worth it if a team wants to win the World Series this year. Some teams this offseason have shown they are going for it all this year by getting good free agents or making trades giving up prospects for big-time players now (Angels, White Sox and Tigers, for example) while others are showing that, although they are close to a World Series title, their prospects are valuable (Indians, Rockies and Diamondbacks, for example).
One of those teams who wants to win now needs to pull this trigger. Giving up a starting pitcher like Phillip Hughes of the Yankees or Jon Lester of the Red Sox to get Santana would be worth it to ensure a spot among the preseason favorites for the championship.
Back to why the Twins should do it, though. The Twins will probably not compete in the AL Central this year with Santana, but the future looks bright as the Tigers and White Sox are getting older and the Indians can't find that piece to fill left field or third base for many years to come.
I've become a big Hughes fan watching his poise with the bright lights of New York on him, he could be a future Cy Young winner, just like Liriano. Why not try to build what could quite possibly become the most dominant one-two-three punch in the AL Central after you're able to add Yankees' reliever Joba Chamberlain to the mix. Chamberlain would do well in Minnesota, too (the Twins play in a dome, so the bugs can't attack him there).
Obviously, I feel the Yankees should be the team the Twins should be talking to because of the pitching prospects they can eke out of them. I know, the Yankees said they wouldn't trade Hughes, Chamberlain or outfielder Melky Cabrera, but with arguably the best pitcher in the game staring you in the face, how can you resist?
Prescott: I could resist by looking towards the future and knowing that the Twins' chances of resigning him are slim, and I could go get him for the same dollars and losing no prospects. Way too much has to be given up by the trading team to make it that worthwhile, especially if you are the Yankees, who know they could outbid anyone.
But back to the Twins, this could be a disastrous move. To lose Hunter, Santana and possibly Nathan all in the same offseason that they open a new stadium that will no doubt have higher ticket prices could cause a big uproar with the fans.
Bud Selig was ready to pull the plug on the Twins a few years back when they couldn't consistently attract a big crowd. They need to keep the fans on their side. Santana may not get them to the playoffs again on his own, but he can put the butts in the seats every fifth game.
However, Santana is not on his own. Liriano will be back, and there are a few decent bats on the hot stove. Even if they can only keep Santana for another year, who better to help Liriano adjust after surgery than possibly the best pitcher in the league?
By simply adding a good bat in the outfield and holding onto the potent 1-2 punch of Santana and Liriano, the Twins could be right back into the playoff mix next year. And who knows, maybe with the extra money Santana will bring in over whoever they would get in a trade, they can resign the best pitcher in the game right now for the money he demands.
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