Saturday, January 19, 2008

Get it done, Omar.

Ok Omar, it’s time to get it done. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Johan Alexander Santana. (Alexander?)

This is very simple. Just shy of 29. Lefty. Two-time AL Cy Young winner. Last year, #1 in WHIP, #2 in strikeouts in a down year. (One might add that the year went downhill when they traded his best friend on the team – TO THE METS.) He’d be going from an even park to a pitchers park. Citi field should be pitcher friendly to. Let’s not forget the league switch, which is good for an ERA drop of 1 or so. Plus, he wants to come.

This team can win now. Prospects schmospects. You’re hung up on the outfield prospects? Go ahead; name me one outfielder – one – you’d rather have than Santana. It can’t be done. Say you’d take Pujols at .330 and 50 jacks over him? What if I reminded you that it wouldn’t be that hard to replace that with .300 and 30. It’s not that hard to buy an outfielder. Especially in this market for pitching. It’s way easier to get outfielders, and that’s what is seems the deal is hung up on. – Prospects. Prospects may not pan out.

*Cough* Gregg Jefferies, Alex Ochoa, Jay Payton, Bill Pulsipher *Cough*.

Or they could turn out to be Jeff Kent, except he is a second baseman. Outfielder schmoutfielders.

I’ll leave it to someone else to pull the VORP and WARP+ numbers which I’m confident will support this argument. Johan Santana to the Mets can be like Pedro to the Sawx all those years ago. Even though they gave up several future major leaguers, you think the Sox would have undone that? You think they’d even want Hanley Ramirez back? Doubtful.

Then there’s the contract. This is easy. C’mon Freddy Coupons, get it done. Here’s how you work it. Can’t insure a 7 year contract? Don’t. Insure a 5 year deal at $22MM per year. Then offer Santana 3 consecutive player options at $17MM. Gives him the security he wants to get to 140/7. Gives the Mets a little security too. See if you can tack on 3 team options at $25MM in case he’s still a stud. Everyone is happy.

Who do the Twins take? I don’t care. Give them a list of seven players, tell them to take any four they want. Gomez, Martinez, Guerra, Humber, Mulvey, Pelfrey, Heilman. If you have to, give them five.

Just get it done.

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