Mets reach deal to acquire Santana
by Ken Rosenthal
Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com
since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and
MLB on FOX.
Updated: January 29, 2008, 4:59 PM EST 88 comments RSS digg blog
email print All that is left for the Mets is to sign Johan Santana
long-term.

Dealing Minnesota The Twins have had a rollercoaster off-season,
from losing Torii Hunter, to re-signing Justin Morneau to a
franchise-record contract, to now agreeing to trade staff ace Johan
Santana to the Mets. Check out Minnesota's wild ride. The Mets and
Twins have reached preliminary agreement on a trade that would send
Santana to New York for outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil
Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Delois Guerra, according to USA Today.

The 72-hour window for the Mets to sign Santana to a contract
extension is now open, major-league sources say. The trade will
become official only after Santana passes a physical and an
agreement is reached.

Santana, who turns 29 in March and is eligible for free agency at
the end of the season, is expected to require a deal of at least six
years and $20 million annually as the price for waiving his no-trade
clause.

The Mets have indicated that they do not want to sign Santana for
more than five years. But as they prepare to open a new ballpark
next season, it is difficult to imagine that they would allow this
opportunity to pass.






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The trade would mark a coup for the Mets, who appeared out of the
running for Santana earlier this off-season, when the Red Sox and
Yankees were more aggressive suitors.

Santana would give the Mets an ace not just for next season but
beyond — an important consideration with right-handers Pedro
Martinez, Orlando Hernandez and Oliver Perez free agents at the end
of the season.

The Twins, meanwhile, would receive a less polished group than they
might have acquired from the Red Sox, who offered separate packages
headed by left-hander Jon Lester and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

However, the Twins would not expect to contend after losing Santana
on top of free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter and right-hander Carlos
Silva. The team's history of succeeding with prospect trades
involving Frank Viola, Chuck Knoblauch and A.J. Pierzynski
apparently emboldened club officials to accept the Mets' offer.

The quality of the Mets' package, though, is certain to be debated.
Gomez, a speedy, athletic wonder, needs to prove that he can hit
major-league pitching. Mulvey and Humber might only become back-of-
the-rotation starters. Guerra has yet to pitch above Class A.