Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Smith Wanted Kennedy And Wang

The post Santana deal fallout begins. The ace lefthander told Minnesota he would invoke his no-trade clause if he was not dealt by Tuesday.

A report in the Bergen Record today reveals that Twins GM Bill Smith came back to the Yankees after Boston removed Jon Lester from any potential package. Smith reportedly informed Brian Cashman that Phil Hughes would no longer be required in a package to attain Johan Santana. However, a Daily News report made more sense, contending that Smith came back to Cashman and did not ask for just Ian Kennedy, but also demanded Chien-Ming Wang.

To this demand Cashman simply offered rejection, content to move forward with the young pitching he assembled last season. There is no proven fact as to why Smith demanded Kennedy - a prospect superior to any player included in the Mets package - and Wang, a two-time 19 game winner in his twenties. However, it would seem Smith was content to demand more from the Yankees (and Boston) because he was instructed to keep Santana out of the American League unless a deal brought back major dividends.

No comments: