TWINS MISPLAY THEIR HAND, LOSE OUT ON SANTANA SWEEPSTAKES

by Jack Cobra, Cobra Brigade

For those of you who were living under a rock last night....Johan Santana has been traded to the NY Mets, pending a physical and a contract extension, both of which should be done rather easily.

When the 'Santana Sweepstakes' started this offseason it looked like the Twins were going to pull off another coup (much like the one they pulled to get Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, etc.) and show that they were one of the smartest organizations in baseball yet again. There had been talk of top prospects along with major league ready players heading to Minnesota to help warm up the hearts of Twins fans during this cold Winter. Instead, they came away with two prospects (using the term loosely) and two fringe players. This, my friends, was not a good move by the Twins.

I understand how the salaries of these young players is going to help the Twins as far as their payroll is concerned, but as far as their production on the actual playing field is concerned....the Twins came up woefully short. They rec'd a 22-year old outfielder with little pop, no plate discipline and some speed. They were able to pick up a pitcher who doesn't even have a winning record in the minor leagues and has struggled in his brief time in the majors. They were able to add on a 19-year old pitcher who hasn't even dominated the lower minors and they sealed the deal with a small pitcher who doesn't strike out a lot of people. That's not even close to equal value for a two-time Cy Young Award Winner.

Time will tell whether or not this turns out to be the trade that takes the Twins to multiple playoff appearances or sets their franchise back a decade, but right now....it's not looking too good.