How much would Santana get on the open market?

[coolcono]

25 mil a year?

[kg2005]

In this year's inflated market? Easily. If Gil Meche is worth 5 years/55 million, Santana is easily a $200 million man.

[Bow2Yao11]

He will be the highest paid P in the MLB and one of the highest paid in history.

[kg2005]

I'm still holding out hope that the Twins get something done soon to avoid the monster payday. Its probably false hope though.

[maseda17]

They should probably deal him after this year to a team that actually has a chance to extend him. You guys are going to have a strong staff regardless headlined with Liriano and Garza being more than capable of fulfilling the #2 role. How about Josh Beckett, Clay Bucholz, Jacoby Ellsbury for Santana from Boston? Ellsbury would fill in nicely at CF with Hunter leaving and Beckett is a front of the rotation guy. Bucholz is the top SP in the Red Sox farm system if you exclude Jon Lester. Respectable offer at least for a player that is likely going to go elsewhere anyway after 08.

[kg2005]

That is a respectable offer, but how big is Beckett's salary?

[maseda17]

3 year 30 million with a club option for 2010. Very reasonable money and will probably seem like a huge bargain after what many us of expect to be a nice bounceback year for him in 2007.

[dunkonu21]

Twins don't spend money like that...

[maseda17]

10m a year for a guy that has #1 potential on short years? That seems overly frugal to me.

[kg2005]

Because he has 2 years left on his current contract, if we work now I think we can get him for the 15-20 range. Its not looking very likely though.

[dunkonu21]

Or maybe you as a Red Sox fan have a twisted sense on what a good deal is...

[maseda17]

Or maybe you as a Red Sox fan have a twisted sense on what a good deal is...

Uh what? kg just admitted it was a respectable offer. You get a top of the rotation starter, our 2 best prospects one of which fulfills a position in CF that you might have to fill in the immediate near future. I'm just throwing out what I figured to be was a very reasonable offer for a player that Twins fans have a suspicion might be leaving via FA. I mean if you don't like the offer then fine, to say its "twisted" in any sense is ridiculous. I assume you just have animosity towards all Red Sox and Yankee fans which I can't reallly blame you for, but the deal is reasonable.

[dunkonu21]

I'm saying what may seem like a "cheap" deal to Red Sox or Yankee fans is an expensive one to Twins fans...We have a lot of pitching prospects that have just as nasty stuff as Beckett, who I loved in Flordia, but has underachieved in Boston...Plus it's not that I have anomosity towards Red Sox fan's, it's that I have animosity towards Red Sox fans trying to get Santana

[maseda17]

have animosity towards Red Sox fans trying to get Santana

Certainly understandable. I feel fortunate to be in a larger market where there is less of a worry about having my favorite star players leave my team and in fact I am very much in favor of some sort of salary reform to maintain a better level of parity. I think the success of the Twins under these parameters is very much understated nationally but I for one have taken a great deal of notice. In terms of Beckett that is why I mentioned the big bounceback year that is expected of him. 10m a year isn't a big contract for a guy with a mid 3.00 era and there would be plenty of salary made available if Santana was involved in the deal and if Hunter leaves. Jacoby Ellsbury would be under your arbitrary control for the next 6 years and likely won't be a reduction in productivity from Hunter. The Johnny Damon comparisons are very real when it comes to Ellsbury. In fact I think most homer Bosox fans would balk at this proposed deal.

[kg2005]

Well, like it or not its going to be hard for us to keep him. Its not like any of those Red Sox fans can actually make a trade anyway. Try not to worry about it.

[Bleeding Green]

This guy wouldn't get a 10-year deal or anything, but I think maybe 6 years for 24 million a year or so would be reasonable.

I do wonder how long he'll hold up, though. This is three straight seasons with 230-ish innings now. Actually, scratch that. He allows so few hits and walks so few people that I'm sure his arm is still pretty fresh.

Last year he was only 70th in he majors in Pitcher Abuse Points. Which is amazing given how many innings he tossed.

[kg2005]

Gardenhire is crazy about pitch counts, strictly 100 pitches per start.

[TheFranchise21]

This guy wouldn't get a 10-year deal or anything, but I think maybe 6 years for 24 million a year or so would be reasonable.

I do wonder how long he'll hold up, though. This is three straight seasons with 230-ish innings now. Actually, scratch that. He allows so few hits and walks so few people that I'm sure his arm is still pretty fresh.

Last year he was only 70th in he majors in Pitcher Abuse Points. Which is amazing given how many innings he tossed.

Yikes, the Twins for sure wouldn't be able to pay him that.

Zito got $17 million per so Santana is easily $20+.

[horaceworthy]

If we're going to have any chance at keeping Johan he's going to have to give us a discount. That's possible, but I don't know how likely.

I'd rather hang onto him than deal him though. I believe we'd still get a couple 1st round draft picks for him if he left, which would be the equivalent of a couple good prospects, and although we'd definitely be taking a risk, I think it would be worth it for a shot at the World Series next year. Also, if we won, it would give us some extra revenue, and Ryan might get permission to put that toward an extension for Johan.

[kg2005]

Right, that one shot with Santana/Garza/Liriano looks pretty tempting.