The Associated Press reports that the Yankees and Twins have had preliminary discussions to bring Johan Santana to the Bronx.
Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said Monday that discussions are ongoing but it was too early to tell whether they would lead to a deal. He did not detail how far talks had progressed.
“I don’t want to get into that at this point, as far as what they want, what we’re willing to give and all that,” he said. “It’s preliminary right now.”
Can this guy ever keep his big mouth shut? What purpose does talking to the media serve aside from alarming other teams into driving up the price? If Hanky loves to hear the sound of his own voice so much, he should buy a tape recorder and play himself on a continuous loop.
The New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers also are thought to be interested in Santana, who is far better than any of the starting pitchers available on the free-agent market.
The presence of Boston in this bidding should change New York’s philosophy. Before it seemed that Santana would surely hit the open market, which would mean all the Yanks would have to do is wait a year to grab him for money and a Draft pick. The Red Sox are the one team with both the prospects to acquire Johan and the willingness to blow him away with an extension offer. The Dodgers probably would not offer a monster extension. The Mets could but do not have the young talent for which Minnesota is looking. If Boston lands Santana, the Yankees will never see him in pinstripes. They will do whatever it takes to prevent him hitting free agency. New York would be up against a Beckett-Santana duo in its prime for the next five years. A trade now might be the only way to get Johan Santana.
The Yankees should still draw a line in the sand somewhere. Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes should be off limits. Trading an ace for a younger ace is not a great move. This team should also do what it takes to keep Ian Kennedy and Robinson Cano off the market. Kennedy has ace potential but is not as sure of a bet to reach the ceiling as the other two youngsters. Cano is the top second baseman in the American League, but the Yankees can hit. It is easier to find a quality second baseman than it is to find an ace. Anybody else in the farm system should be available.
The Dodgers have more young talent than anybody. If they really want Johan, they will get him. That might be the best thing for the Yankees as long as the parties cannot agree on an extension. It would keep Santana away from Boston and allow New York to grab him in a year without giving up any of the prized youngsters within the organization.
