METS GET JOHAN SANTANA

[THUNDER HANDS]

WOOOHOOOO!!!

pending a signing agreement in the next 72 hours, the best pitcher in baseball is a MET!

Mets send 4 minor leaguers to Minnesota.

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

:bounce:

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. YAY!!!

:woohoo:

[cboy4]

2. I feel bad for Minnesota. They fucking lose Torii AND

Santana.

This isn't right.

[trotsky]

4. Torii and Santana are just the latest.

The Twins have long had a very productive system that molds great players - and then they get taken away by the big payroll teams.

I can't lay too much blame on the Twins management - Carl Pohlad is a notorious tightwad though - but they just don't have as much money to work with and can't afford keep the best players.

It is a problem for baseball in general, and I think one of the reasons why they lost the title of "favorite American sport" to football.

[northzax]

5. it's the way of the world, alas

this is why I prefer the international soccer system, instead of a couple of minor leaguers, the team could have just taken the cash.

[RL3AO]

7. God no.

The owner would have pocketed the money. At least his bank doesn't cash minor leaguers.

[northzax]

8. same end result is likely, right?

and wasn't Santana in the final year of his contract anyway? so they got something, instead of nothing (frankly, I would rather have had one more year of his pitching than four anonymous minor leaguers.)

[RL3AO]

9. In the Twins defense, they did offer him 5 years/100 M

but he wanted 7 and 140.

[northzax]

10. can you blame him?

I mean one of those is double the other! 7/140 is generational cash.

[trotsky]

11. $100 million is just an insult.

I mean, how could one possibly support one's family on such a meager salary? :sarcasm:

Pursuit of the almighty dollar corrupts every level. He could have stayed in MN and been a sports icon like Kirby Puckett, but there's not as much money in that. Just being a hero to millions of kids, and who gives a rip about that?

[hughee99]

12. And why is it that Santana can be a hero to millions of kids

in Minnesota for 5 years/100 million but can't be a hero to millions of kids in NY for 7 years/140 million? Perhaps he was hoping to use some of the extra money to help out his hometown community in Venezuela, which he does a lot of charitable work in?

[northzax]

13. there are, after all

a lot more kids in New York than Minnesota. Maybe he didn't like the weather. maybe he wanted to live in Manhattan? maybe his wife (is he married? I have no idea) didn't want to live in the Twin Cities anymore? maybe he wanted a realistic chance of making the world series more than once over that timeframe? maybe he wanted to live in a city with a Venezuelan population you need more than two hands to count? maybe he really likes Broadway shows? maybe he wants to pitch outside? maybe he wants to only have to work for seven years, not ten? maybe he really, really, hates Hot Dishes and Lutefisk?

who knows? all I know is that if I was offered the same job for double my salary, I'd probably take it.

[Reverend_Smitty]

16. His best friend Luis Castillo also plays for the Mets

He was pissed last season when the Twins traded him in the middle of a pennant race, I think that could have factored into his decision as well

[trotsky]

15. Cha, right.

Just shows the problems with baseball. Some teams have way more money to spend more than others. Baseball will continue to be a sport that caters to large markets and the rest of the country can go fuck itself.

Kirby signed for less to stay in MN rather than return to his hometown of Chicago. Not every player is in it for more money, even if you do "suppose" that they will donate all the extra cash to needy orphans with big sad eyes.

[hughee99]

17. So he's a hometown hero for taking $100 million dollars

instead of $140? And who's hometown? Not his, he's from Venezuela. Like it or not, he doesn't owe the people of Minnesota a thing. He did all that was asked of him and was paid less than what he was worth for it. I didn't hear fans complaining that the Twins weren't paying the best pitcher in baseball enough in 2004 when he made 1.6 million (and won the Cy Young), or in 2005 when he made under 5 million, or in 2006, when he made 8.7 million (and again won the Cy Young). No, not every player is in it just for the money (ask Mike Lowell who took less money to stay in Boston), but why is Santana greedy for wanting a better offer, or a better chance to win a ring, but the Twins not greedy for just adding 2 years at the same rate they were willing to pay him for 5. The Twins made a "business decision" but Santana is "greedy"? As northzax said, there are many other reasons why Santana may have wanted to leave Minnesota other than JUST the money.

[trotsky]

18. I get it, I get it.

You don't give a rat's ass. You'll throw out possible excuses until one sticks.

I blame the Twins management, Santana, and baseball itself.

[hughee99]

20. They ALL stick...

Baseball has a fundamental revenue sharing issue, that the league needs to address. I think we agree on that. Until they address it, though, I can't blame the Twins for making a business decision that Santana may not hold up for 7 years. They have to operate in the current environment and do what's best (in their opinion) for the team. By the same token, Santana operates in the same environment, and I can't blame him for doing what's best (in his opinion) for himself, his career or his family. His family isn't going to starve if he stays in Minnesota, but why should he be obligated to do the same work for less money just because the league won't address the problem effectively?

[northzax]

19. until there is a hard salary cap, yes

but even then, in places such as the NFL, high revenue teams do better, on average, than lower revenue teams, over a longer period of time. Same in the NBA, although there personal wealth of the owner can also come into play (see: Cuban, M. and Allen, P.) since the salary cap is high enough to allow spending above and beyond general revenue.

[RL3AO]

6. Welcome to our life.

[hughee99]

3. Congratulations to the Mets...

I would have liked to see him in Boston, but I'm glad to see him at least in the NL, instead.

[Auggie]

14. Although Cleveland kicked his butt last year,

I'm glad to see Santana leave the A.L. Central.

[inthebrain]

21. NL EAST CHAMPS!!!!!

EAT MUD ATLANTA!!!!

PHILLY TOO!!!!

The pain must horrible!!!

[chelsea0011]

22. Can anyone explain how either the Sox or Yankees offers weren't

better than 4 unproven players? It looks like the Twins were really looking to do it on the cheap.

[northzax]

23. it may be a couple of things

a: johann might have preferred the Mets, for whatever reason, and since the deal was contingent on him signing a long term deal.

B: they might have seen something in one of the minor leaguers

C: they really are that cheap, and didn't want an older player, or a younger one they couldn't sign again?