Olney: Santana's Wear & Tear

From Buster Olney's blog today comes the discussion of Johan Santana's longterm health and effectiveness throughout his contract with the Mets:

Heard this from a couple of evaluators: Johan Santana's velocity is down 3-4 miles per hour from a couple of years ago. He is short-arming the ball more than he has in the past -- and this is after some red flags appeared in the physical examination he underwent before signing with the Mets. Sources say his shoulder showed some wear and tear, which is not unusual for a pitcher of Santana's age. This is not to say Santana is not an effective pitcher now, but all of this information makes you wonder how effective he will remain during the course of his multi-year deal.

Obviously, these rumors could be discarded should Santana continue to dominate hitters during the life of his new deal. However, should Santana's shoulder crumble in the next couple of seasons it will be interesting to hear what Hank Steinbrenner [and similar-sounding Yankee fans] feel about Brian Cashman's decision to pass on the Johan sweepstakes.

To be fair, when I saw Santana pitch at Yankee Stadium last weekend the stadium gun had the lefty consistently pitching 91-93 mph. Santana frequently hit 94 and topped out at 96 a few times with his fastball. This is all reliant on the Yankee Stadium radar gun which is often said to be inaccurate at times. Though Keith Law agrees with that idea, I usually find the stadium gun to be very accurate.

See You At The Game

Luckily I didn't get tickets for last night's game, but I will be in attendance for this afternoon's match up which pits Andy Pettitte against Johan Santana.

This will be the first time I see Santana in person. I missed him by a day last summer when I was in Minneapolis and, typically, the night before Santana struck out 17 Texas Rangers over eight innings.

The Yankees will be hoping for a more tame Johan on Saturday.

Santana Was Almost A Texan

According to Sports Illustrated, Johan Santana and Torii Hunter were close to becoming Texas Rangers this offseason. Something tells me the Rangers never came quite as close to acquiring the Twins twosome as they lead on.

Several weeks before Santana went to the Mets, the Texas Rangers came very close to making a blockbuster trade for the superstar pitcher, people familiar with those talks say.

The Rangers kept their intentions and progress remarkably quiet this winter, but sources indicate that they were actually the most aggressive early pursuer of Santana, who they viewed him as a rotation-transforming pitcher. Some are suggesting now that they believe the Rangers would have been willing to pay Santana as much or more than the $137.5 million, six-year contract -- or technically, $124 million, five-year extension -- he got from the Mets.

Indications are that Texas' trade discussions with the Twins progressed to the point where there was either agreement or near agreement on the young players going back to Minnesota. At that point, executives involved in the talks believed that the trade was very likely to be consummated if only Santana gave a more enthusiastic response when Twins higher ups quizzed him about whether he'd accept a trade to the Rangers.

Word is, Santana actually thought about the Rangers long enough to have quizzed his long-time Twins teammate Torii Hunter, a free agent, about his own intentions. But it appears that when Hunter, a resident of Prosper, Texas, and close friend of Rangers manager Ron Washington, was noncommittal about whether he'd sign with the Rangers (he eventually signed with the Angels), Santana appears to have followed Hunter's lead.

Also from Jon Heyman's column comes a tidbit on Andy Pettitte in which the SI scribe writes it was Brian Cashman - and not Pettitte - who canceled his last Spring Training start "as a precaution."

Heyman also says "Boston isn't expecting miracles from Bartolo Colon."

Breaking Down Santana

The NY Times has an original piece which examines Johan Santana's changeup. The photo above shows the difference in grip which batters must identify in order to decipher a 90+ mph fastball from an ugly swing at an 80mph changeup. Good luck with that.

Another Times article discusses the risk and reward of signing a high-priced ace such as Santana. At one point, the analysis of Baseball Prospectus' Nate Silver concludes Santana will miss one entire season due to injury during the life of his new record breaking contract. Silver also believes Santana will spend at least one season pitching at a well-diminished level of performance. Even with these predictions, employing Santana's dominance for three to four seasons seems worth the risk. And if any pitcher is armed with the ability to age gracefully, it is Johan with his consistent changeup.

Pedro-Santana Rift Already?

An article from The Sporting News discusses Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte, exploring the possibility of both New York pitchers falling on their faces this season. More specifically, the idea of Pedro resenting Johan Santana is presented:

For Martinez, it is a matter of accepting that he no longer is the lead dog in the Mets' rotation.

Martinez said he was "jumping up and down" when the Mets obtained Santana from Minnesota and welcomed his arrival. However, Martinez also has an oversized ego, which has served him well.

He rejected the suggestion that Santana was just what the Mets needed to recover from last season's collapse. The Mets had a good No. 1 starter last season in 13-game winner Tom Glavine, Martinez said. The Mets need a full season from Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and Martinez, he said.

"What this team has been lacking is health," Martinez said. "Even though Glavine was healthy, he couldn't do it by himself. I wasn't there to help him. El Duque got hurt. We're all healthy now."

Mets manager Willie Randolph must carefully maneuver to keep Martinez engaged and productive. Santana seems willing to do his part. He is deferential to Martinez and expressed no reservations about watching him get the start on Opening Day.

Regarding Pettitte, the article wonders "how deep the psychological damage runs" stemming from his role between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee. The upcoming season will certainly be a challenging one for Pettitte, but photos like this one seem to paint a pretty relieved individual.

Schilling's Loss Is Omar's Gain

Had Curt Schilling's shoulder issues come about a week or so earlier, the baseball world may have been discussing the Red Sox 1-2 punch of Josh Beckett and Johan Santana. There is no doubt that had Schilling been diagnosed with an injury keeping him off the field until after the all star break that Boston would have actually pursued Santana, instead of exercise smokescreen tactics.

Fortunately for the New York Mets - and by extension, the Yankees - Theo Epstein and company had no desire to surrender a package built around Jacoby Ellsbury or Jon Lester. The status of Boston's rotation as one of the best in the business made this decision much easier for the Red Sox. However, had the Sox known about Schilling's shoulder earlier, Omar Minaya would have been scrambling to sign Livian Hernandez or Kyle Lohse.

Subway Squawkers had this to say:

Reports out of Boston say that Curt Schilling has a major shoulder injury and the Red Sox may try to void his contract. Had the Red Sox known earlier that Schilling would be unavailable, might they have gotten back in the bidding for Johan Santana? Sure, Schilling might not have pitched more than one more year anyway, but the Yankees supposedly had a lot less interest in Santana once Andy Pettitte decided to return, and Pettitte may only be around for one more year himself.

Actually, the Mets also have an aging, injury-prone ace with one year left on his contract, but I’m glad they didn’t use Pedro Martinez’ return as an excuse not to pursue Santana. And if Pedro does continue his successful comeback, I hope he’s still an important part of the team next year at Citi Field.

Melky's Sigh Of Relief,A Visitor To Thurman's Locker

Brian Heyman of the Journal News caught up with Yankees centerfielder Melky Cabrera and was able pull some quotes regarding his inclusion in a trade package which would have sent him to Minnesota in exchange for Johan Santana.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates," Cabrera said through an interpreter last night at the Marriott Marquis, where he was among the honorees at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards, a dinner that benefits the AHRC NYC, which works with the developmentally disabled. "I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

As a footnote, Heyman described a special visitor making her first trip to the hallowed locker kept empty in honor of Thurman Munson following his tragic passing.

Diana Munson has never seen her late husband's locker at Yankee Stadium. It has been kept empty with the No. 15 over it since his death in 1979. But she hopes to come this year on a day when no one is around to take a look, since this is the ballpark's final year of existence.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

The article also has some updates on stories which broke yesterday afternoon, including a resolution to Derek Jeter's tax predicament:

According to The Associated Press, Derek Jeter has settled his problems with the state's Department of Taxation and Finance, although the numbers weren't released. The tax people believed Jeter should have paid taxes for 2001-03 as a resident of the state because he had an apartment he owned in Manhattan. Jeter said he was a resident of Florida.

As well as Don Mattingly's bizarre encounter with his drunken estranged ex-wife:

An AP report stated that Don Mattingly's estranged 45-year-old wife, Kim, was arrested on Saturday at his home in Evansville, Ind., and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Police said she wouldn't leave the premises. She posted $50 bond and appeared in court on Monday, the same day the ex-Yankees player and coach was granted a protective order.

Deveney: Can Tribe Keep Sabathia?

Sean Deveney of The Sporting News offers his insights on the future of CC Sabathia, ultimately concluding the Indians lack the financial dedication to keep him.

According to the article, Cleveland's 2007 payroll was approximately $62 million, which ranked 23rd in Major League Baseball. Their payroll was largely held down due to bargain deals made for (then) budding stars Victor Martinez [5 years, $15 million] and Grady Sizemore [6 years, $23.5 million].

However, these rising stars will soon reach free agency and require the big bucks which goes along with it. Travis Hafner, for example, received a four year extension worth $57 million last year. Sabathia will likely require a contract that doubles Hafner's deal, leaving several baseball experts skeptical that Cleveland can keep the 2007 AL Cy Young winner.

From the article:

I asked an NL executive to take a stab at how much Sabathia, who has had some waistline issues in his career, would get on the open market. "He seems to have put all the questions about his body and conditioning behind him," he said. "Still, I don't think anyone would go beyond five years. Maybe he could get to six with incentives. If it stretches to six years, you'd have to think $130 million."

There's no way to know what the Indians' price range on Sabathia is. But we can guess it is lower than $130 million. The hope is that Sabathia will take a lesser deal to stay put, which is what Carlos Zambrano (five years, $91 million) did last season with the Cubs. But even if Sabathia is willing to give the hometown discount (five years, $100 million?), that discount still might not be enough for Cleveland. If you get a half-price bargain on a Lamborghini, you still need to come up with $160,000.

The metaphor of a Lamborghini's cost is an exceptional one. And even with a hometown discount, there is little reason to believe Sabathia would accept a contract which does not top $100 million. Most likely, Sabathia will require a deal which comes closer to $125 million.

Considering the $62 million payroll from last season, Deveney goes on to theorize the impact a Sabathia megadeal would have on future payrolls:

The Indians' payroll figures to jump to north of $80 million this year. That's with Sabathia at $11 million. It just doesn't seem likely that the Indians can afford to jump to nearly twice that number. The team is not expected to pursue trades for Sabathia -- not yet, at least -- but if the Indians can't find a solution in the next week or so, then this problem will continue to loom.

A well-written piece with very valid points. I don't believe the Indians have any intention of trading Sabathia, realizing their current roster has a great chance at repeating as AL Central champs in 2008. Removing Sabathia from their rotation would erase that possibility, especially if top pitching prospect Adam Miller takes another step backward following an injury ridden 2007.

That said, many Yankees scouts, fans and front office people will wince at the idea of paying a 300 lbs pitcher $100+ million. Should the young starting trio of Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy even come close to living up to some outlandish expectations, the need for CC will not be so needy.

Sabathia Rumors Supplant Santana

Unfortunately for the strong corps of die-hard Cleveland fans, it appears as though they will now have the honor of being this month's version of the Twins fanbase - as they must deal with the prospect of losing a Cy Young winning lefthander to free agency because their franchise won't pony up the money to keep him.

According to several reports, Cleveland offered CC Sabathia a four year extension worth about $70 million on top of the $11.25 million he will make in 2008. A contract of $80+ million will not hold last year's AL Cy Young winner, particularly after witnessing Santana bank over $150 million last week.

Some locals address the Sabathia issue:

· Cleveland Plain Dealer says Indians need to up their offer to Sabathia.

· The Akron Beacon Journal ponders whether or not Sabathia will stick around.

· The Chicago Tribune believes the Johan Santana deal puts Sabathia's future on deck.

Santana Passes Physical

It's officially a done deal. Mets fans can now move forward in exorcising last September's demons and begin celebrating the arrival of Johan Santana as the pitcher passed his physical today.

From Rotoworld:

Johan Santana passed his physical Saturday, the Mets said, and his trade to New York is expected to be announced later in the day.

The Twins will receive Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Philip Humber.

Up next: Erik Bedard. Orioles lone shining light or Seattle superstar? And who really cares either way?

Santana Is A Done Deal

According to SI.com, the Mets and Johan Santana have agreed to a contract worth $150+ million over the next seven years. The last year on Santana's current contract is worth $13.75 million so the Mets extension is worth $137.50 million and he is expected to receive $7 million in a signing bonus.

Heyman: Santana Deal Imminent

Update 5:00 pm:

The Mets and Twins have been granted a two hour extension until 7 pm to conclude contract talks which would lock up Johan Santana into his mid-30s.

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Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting the Mets are closing in on a deal of six years at about $22 million per season:

Johan Santana and the Mets continue to make progress on a record-setting contract that is expected to make the two-time Cy Young winner a $150-million man, SI.com has learned. People with knowledge of the talks say they expect a deal to be completed by the 5 p.m. EST deadline.

Santana and the Mets are discussing a contract extension for six years that is expected to pay Santana close to $22 million a year, according to sources familiar with the talks. In addition, it is believed the Mets may add about $7 million to Santana's $13.25 million salary for 2008.

That expected new $20 million salary for '08, and the six additional years at $22 million, could bring Santana's total haul to $152 million. The previous record for a pitcher was Barry Zito's $126-million, seven-year deal signed last winter with the San Francisco Giants.

Some reports say the Mets are holding strong to a deal of five years and a sixth year as a vested option, but if Heyman's report is accurate, Omar Minaya cannot be blamed for trying. They are throwing the kitchen sink at Santana, and a deal will therefore get done soon, if it hasn't already.

I know plenty of Mets fans, and though we like to take shots at each other from time to time, I have to offer a kudos on picking up the best pitcher in baseball. With the NL and that stadium, Johan will be an absolute stud for them. Citi Field and not Fenway Park is all the Yankees care about.

Friday Linx: Santana, Bedard, & Joba

· The Johan Santana contract is expected to be completed by the 5:00 pm deadline. The NY Post says Santana is looking for a contract of at least $150 million and the sticking point seems to be whether or not the final year is guaranteed. The negotiations could come right down to the wire, but it should get done.

· Similarly, the Baltimore Sun reports the Erik Bedard story should be wrapped up "soon." Both the Mariners and Orioles believe a resolution will come within the next couple days; which does not rule out Bedard staying in Baltimore. Supposedly, as was rumored yesterday, the hold up is linked to procedural red tape involving physical exams.

· In the wake of the Santana sweepstakes, RLYW examines the top twenty offensive seasons in Yankee history.

· The Minor League Baseball site released its list of the top 50 prospects who are rookie eligible in 2008. Not surprisingly, Joba Chamberlain and Clay Buchholz are in the top ten. However, Clayton Kershaw, who has yet to throw a major league pitch, and probably will not until a September call-up or not at all until 2009, is ranked above both AL East pitching phenoms.

I understand there is a consensus from scouts that Kershaw is an uber prospect and lefthanded, but it seems inaccurate to rank a pitcher never above AA over two prospects who flew through the minors before flashing dominance at the big league level. Ian Kennedy came in at #26 and Austin Jackson #49.

· Nolan Ryan is considering a job with the Texas Rangers and no, it does not require putting Robin Ventura in a headlock.

AP: 'Hughes Can Relax'

Today, Joel Sherman's statements regarding Phil Hughes' conditioning - or lack thereof - were basically proven to be without any merit once Patrick Teale, head of Pinstripes Plus and minor league guru, totally refuted it. However, an AP report from this afternoon pulled some quotes from the 21 year-old now that he seems to have escaped a trade which would have sent him to Minnesota.

On the Mets - not Yankees - appearing to have acquired Johan Santana:

"That's kind of been my goal the whole time, and to finally know that it's somewhat intact, it's a good feeling," the 21-year-old right-hander said Thursday at the Yankees' minor league complex.

"It's good to finally have that reassurance of being somewhat stable for the time being. It kind of dragged out longer than everybody wanted it too, but it's finally nice to be able to concentrate on things we need to do."

And on Hughes' offseason regimen:

Hughes has been working out at the complex the past six weeks and is throwing off a mound.

"He's been very diligent in his work this offseason, more so than he has in the past," Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland said. "But he's human as well. He hears the rumors. But like I tell him, all he can control is how he prepares and gets himself ready to pitch."

"He's starting to figure out some things as far as work ethic goes and what it takes to get ready for spring training," Eiland said. "This is his third major league camp. Now he's going in as a member of the pitching staff rather than just a top prospect trying to get a couple looks and being sent out. He's getting himself ready to pitch in a major league season."

Eiland's description of Hughes as 'more diligent' than past years relates to Phil's concentration level remaining squarely on baseball because of the Santana rumors. The same goes for Eiland's reference to "work ethic," because Hughes is entering Spring training as a member of the team, requiring a tougher different approach to camp. Regardless, Hughes' propensity to arrive to Spring workouts earlier than most Yankees is a testament supporting his drive to succeed.

There was also brief mention of Andrew Brackman - the nearly seven foot fireballer recovering from Tommy John surgery:

Andrew Brackman, the Yankees first round pick in the 2007 amateur draft, is throwing at 90 feet. The 6-foot-10, 240 pound right-hander from North Carolina State had elbow ligament replacement surgery last Aug. 24.

"It's feeling awesome," Brackman said.

Brackman, who will not pitch in games this season, is scheduled to increase his throwing distance in about two weeks.

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Hughes To Change Jersey No.

According to Hughes' weblog, the RHP is considering a number change from his current "65" jersey. I believe Phil likes numbers that are multiples of five. Jorge's got 20, Giambi is 25, Mussina is 35, Wang at 40, Matsui 55.

The 45 jersey number is/was under Carl Pavano's control. With Carl the Crutch's bad karma, I would hope Hughes thinks twice before putting on the hex's old jersey. That leaves 30, recently vacated by Larry Bowa and 50, his former number at Trenton.

How about the number 57? That would send a message to his critics.

Metsblog: Santana Contract Close

According to Metsblog, the Mets and Johan Santana plan to work on ironing out a contract extension into Wednesday night, though a deal is not expected to be completed until Thursday.

Nothing new here, but the blog also believes the final detail to be worked out is whether the final year of the contract is guaranteed or a vested option. Santana will likely sign a deal of six years with an annual value above $20 million but below $25 million.

Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Marquez and a host of other prospects can now exhale.

Now can we finally put this topic to rest?

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.

WasWatching What?

As any knowledgeable baseball websurfer realizes, WasWatching is a Yankees blog with a flare for creating discussion. Though most of us understand Steve is a "glass half empty" kind of fellow, his outlook on prospects are often times morbid to borderline delusional.

His inability to accept Phil Hughes as a dynamic prospect comes after observing an athlete pitching for a few months after succumbing to major hamstring/ankle injuries. The infinite scouting reports and superlative statistics Hughes collected while dominating the minor league levels seems to escape him.

Tonight I was directed to take a look at the most recent post on the blog which discussed the Mets acquisition of Johan Santana. I found myself mildly disturbed after reading Steve declare this:

[The Mets] were not afraid to part with prospects. And, they're not afraid of Santana's salary demands.

Kevin Mulvey and Phil Humber should be decent big league pitchers some day. But, Deolis Guerra is a baby. Anything can happen with him. Carlos Gomez? Yes, he can run and he can field. But, will he hit in the majors? How's his attitude?

To me, this would be as if the Yankees traded Ian Kennedy, Jose Tabata, Alan Horne, and Dellin Betances for Johan Santana.

Considering the Mets trade proposal, had the Yankees offered Kennedy, Tabata, Horne and Betances, they probably could have gotten Johan Santana and Pat Neshek. A package of Horne, Jeffrey Marquez, Zach McCallister and Austin Jackson would comfortably overshadow the winning package by the Mets. Some might even suggest substituting Brett Gardner for A-Jax without losing ground to the Mets' offer.

But I digress. As of today, Ian Kennedy is double the prospect of any of the Mets prospects listed above. Last year Kennedy strolled his way through three minor league levels by pitching to a sub-2.00 ERA and earning himself Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors. All this came before making an impressive three starts at the major league level... at age 22.

Kevin Mulvey is the most projectable piece of the package, but Deolis Guerra may be the top pitching prospect of the three mentioned. An 18 year-old with a ceiling as a #2 starter, he is certainly a strong prospect, but has yet to post any substantial numbers at Port St. Lucie.

Even with an injury-shortened 2007 from Dellin Betances, the native New Yorker and 6'9'' flamethrower has as high a ceiling as any prospect in the Yankees system. During instructs, Betances reportedly made significant strides in correcting his mechanics and has returned to 100% health. The teenager's fastball, which lost velocity last season, typically sits at 94-96 mph and he's touched 98 in years passed. Though only time will tell, Betances - like Kennedy - outclasses Guerra.

Phil Humber was a highly touted prospect 18 months ago, but his arm never fully made it back from Tommy John surgery and his velocity dipped noticeably. Maybe most important, his curveball never developed and his 2007 season saw him post decent - not dominant - peripherals. At AAA Humber compiled a 4.29 ERA, less hits than innings pitched, and a k/9 of 7.77.

By comparison, Alan Horne finally posted the numbers Yankees farmers had expected and took a giant step forward in his development. Horne returned well from Tommy John surgery and saw his velocity and stuff return to pre-op levels. After completely making over his mechanics in 2006, Horne took major advances toward the big leagues in 2007 by compiling 165 strikeouts in 153 innings and earning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors. . . all from a prospect two weeks younger than Humber.

Sure Horne spent last year at AA while Humber was in AAA, but Humber only pitched 30+ innings at AA while Horne tossed over 150. Had the Yankees not been as patient, Horne easily could have been promoted to Scranton at some point last season.

As for Jose Tabata, all the native Venezuelan did from ages 16-18 was hit .305/.375 in the GCL, Charleston and Tampa. Last year saw Tabata bat .307 while playing with a hand which needed surgery to remove the hamate bone following the season's conclusion. The only question scouts reserve for Tabata is how much power he will develop moving into his early 20s to accompany great plate discipline, pure hitting ability, a plus corner outfield arm and an average glove. When all is said and done, Tabata will be 19 years old and competing at the AA level next year, and that says a lot.

Certainly Carlos Gomez has the advantage in the outfield, flashing exceptional instincts tracking the ball and throwing out runners. However, last year saw Gomez promote himself as a singles hitter who uses bunting and incomparable speed to get on base. Unfortunately, scouts aren't very optimistic about Gomez ever developing much more of a hitting prowess. Regardless, every prospect list in the industry lists Tabata considerably higher than Gomez.

For all of these reasons, Steve's crackpipe inspired proposed trade of Betances, Tabata, Horne and Kennedy grossly exceeds the one which brought back Santana today. This is not to discredit what the Mets accomplished, only to apply a little reality to a post derived from fantasy land.

Mets Land Santana, Contract Awaits

The New York Mets have won the Johan Santana sweepstakes with a trade including Humber, Gomez, Mulvey and Guerra according to USA Today via Rotoworld. The deal is pending the Mets working out a contract extension with Santana.

Not having to include Fernando Martinez is a win for Omar Minaya. Much more on this as it unfolds.

The Yankees organization and the majority of their fans received what they wanted: to keep their top pitching talents while ensuring Santana stay out of Boston. The pressure is now squarely on Brian Cashman as well as Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain.

Cashman does not and has never appeared to be effected by the prospect of "being on the hook." The GM was under such pressures last season when the Yankees began the season in the AL East basement. He will be under similar scrutiny if Hughes (specifically) does not perform up to his abilities at age 21.

Cashman is also unaware as to what type of climate he will be subject to under the new ownership. Therefore, the embattled general manager could very well decide to move out of the big apple on his own volition and consider the multiple opportunities outside of pinstripe territory.

This is an exciting time for the Yankees farm followers and a declaration that the interlocking NY no longer stands for Not Young.

Twins Offer Santana $100 Million

According to WFAN's Mike Francesa, the Twins upped their offer to Johan Santana but he turned down a five year extension worth $100 million. Including the $13 million Santana would make this season, the total value of the contract would work out $113 million over the next six years.

Meanwhile, WFAN contributer and SI columist Jon Heyman believes the Yankees are out on Santana and the Mets remain the frontrunners.

The long-running Johan Santana sweepstakes, which may be coming to a conclusion within days, appear now to be a two-team race between the Mets and Red Sox. While this derby has taken several twists and turns and has been difficult to predict, the Twins appear to be in more regular contact with the Mets in recent days, which could be an indication that they are leading as the finish line approaches.

Some baseball officials believe an agreement on the players could be struck as early as Tuesday. But even if the Twins and Mets agree on player compensation, the Mets will have to lure Santana with a multiyear deal. Santana has a full no-trade clause and the power to veto any deal.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have told the Twins that they will now no longer include young pitcher Phil Hughes in any deal and appear to be just about out of the running now, if not completely out.

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Neal: Twins To Soon Ask For 'Final Answer'

Where's a Regis Philbin joke when you need one. According to Twins rumor mongerer La Velle Neal, Minnesota will soon ask the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets for their final offers on Johan Santana. Neal refutes Buster Olney's report yesterday which declared Jon Lester off the trading table.

Indications from Twins officials are that this is a critical week in the Johan Santana sweepstakes.

The club has not set any hard deadlines yet but may soon tell the teams most interested in Santana -- the Mets, Yankees and Red Sox -- that it's time for them to step up with their best offers for the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

Twins officials over the weekend maintained that all three teams remain interested in Santana. They also disputed reports that lefthander Jon Lester has been taken out of any Red Sox package. Boston still is believed to have different packages under consideration, one led by Lester and the other led by outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

The Twins would like a package from the Yankees that includes righthander Phil Hughes and outfielder Melky Cabrera -- an option that some Twins players quietly prefer.

There is always the possibility that the Yankees return their offer based around Hughes and Melky, though that possibility seems to shrink with every day passed.

The question now is whether the Twins and Yankees would be willing to assemble and accept an offer of say Ian Kennedy, Alan Horne, Melky Cabrera and Jeff Marquez. Only Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner can really answer that one.