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Best Mad Dog Interview

This is a must watch for Yankee fans. Put yourself in the mood, it’s 2006 at the Trading deadline and you just acquired Cory Lidle and Bobby Abreu.

Tuesday Update

Sox reviewing Santana’s medical records

Lester, Crisp, Masterson, and a minor leaguer is the newest rumor. Will this be enough to make the Yankees surrender Kennedy, Hughes and Melkey?

By the way, what a Monday Night game last night. That was probably the most exciting NFL game I’ve watched since the Pats v. Raiders in Foxboro (2001).

Monday’s Winter Meetings

Here’s a quick wrap of Monday’s winter GM Meetings.

That’s it for Monday, I’ll check back in tomorrow. Enjoy the Pats game tonight- Baltimore looks fired up.

Yanks offer Hughes

Numerous reports show that the Yankees have agreed to offer Phillip Hughes in their package to acquire Johan Santana. Now it looks as though it’s going to be Hughes/Melkey/prospect. I’m sure that Cashman was the person that had to be persuaded to include him in this package. Now the Twins are going to run right back to the Red Sox who have the following players to offer. Lester/Bucholz/Ellsbury/Crisp. I can’t see the Red Sox trading Ellsbury so let’s consider him out of the package. Would Bucholz/Crisp be an equivalent package to that of Hughes/Melkey? It could be. What will be interesting is how much the Red Sox are willing to boost Santana’s value by their counter offer. Either way, the Santana loser will pick up either Bedard from the O’s or Haren from the A’s with a lighter package. The first few days of the winter meetings will be very interesting.

Will Santa-na Come For Christmas?

The Minnesota Twins are going to need a lot more than a sled and a few reindeer to ship away their highly coveted ace, Johan Santana. A good friend recently asked me if Santana was more likely to end up in the Bronx or in Queens to start the year? I said “relative to China, he’ll land close; Minnesota.” I of course said this just as ESPN.com reported the Yanks and Twins are engaging in serious trade discussions. However I still believe I make a compelling argument for him to stay put. One, we go under the premise that the Twins will without a doubt ask for at least one SP prospect in return. Two, we recognize that the Twins outfield is depleted, and three, because of the pressure of opening a new ballpark, which the fans are paying for, the trade is going to have to lean their way in the public eye. With those conditions said, let’s take a look at what will most likely happen, and of course, what the Mets and Yankees have to offer.

The most likely solution is that the Twins do not Trade Santana before June due to the pressure Twins owner Carl Pohlad is currently under. Fans are also still annoyed with the Luis Castillo trade. He traded away Luis Castillo for barely anything, basically giving up on the year 2007. The Twins should be able to extract more from teams at the trading deadline. Although conventionally this is untrue, teams always need a starter for a playoff run. Lets face it, come next July, the Twins will be out of the race by then. The fact that they would be looking to trade a true Ace at the deadline, could allow them to really extract everything they could in only giving up half a year of Santana. This will also lead to the fans having an easier time accepting the deal, “Okay, we’re out of it, let’s get some young talent out of him so our future looks bright.” This situation would most likely work in the Mets’ favor more so than the Yankees. Let’s say that naturally Joba’s value depreciates, this makes Hughes and Kennedy even more “untouchable.” Now the Mets come out of the gate and Milledge or Gomez has a break out open to the season. Now one would argue that equally as likely is Joba could come out near perfect and the two Mets outfielders could bomb. But it’s not an equal chance at all. Of two semi-experienced OF prospects, one of which will start at least five games a week, one of the outfield kids is much more likely to take off than Joba remaining lights out. Joba has never started a Major League game. I know he’s been in pressure situations, but he’s never gone through a professional lineup three times in 2 hours. Also keep in mind that we have yet to see two other pitches. He has a below average slider that moves more like a slurve, not to mention his past weight problem and possible tendonitis in his right arm.

How could the deals go down before June?

The Yankees young farmhands have repeatedly been called “untouchable” by Yankees GM Brian Cashman, however in the right Santana deal, I don’t doubt that they would surrender one and only one. Right now the Twins are going to want some kind of [Cano, SP] package, possibly a pick as well. They will never trade Hughes, and Joba has become sort of a young phenom in New York. So the Yankees only chance is to give up Ian Kennedy along with Cano and a pick. Will that happen? I highly doubt that Cashman will alow Cano and a young pitcher to go for Santana. That being said, it comes down to how crazy Hal Steinbrenner really is. He is already constantly slapping Cashman in the face via the media (see aforementioned article). If the Yanks can handle parting with one of their good young guns, they’ve got a clear advantage, but the point is, they wont.

As far as the Mets are concerned, first thing is first. The Mets could use the headlines and Minaya knows it. I spoke with someone who has knowledge of talks between the Mets and Twins who said that the Mets will require a 72-hour negotiating window, as all teams will on this trade. They have young outfield talent that the Twins need and that they are willing to give up. The Mets’ deal will begin with young phenom Carlos Gomez. He has .300 / 15HR / 80RBI / 30SB potential, not to mention his already solid defense. He is a four tool player, (lacks true power). Given he will need to play a full year and have some maturation; he is still a very good young prospect. Pitching wise, the Mets can offer Phillip Humber or Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey throws 96-97, which means at minimum he is a good reliever, (see a player named Joba Chamberlain). To the Twins, Pelfrey is the safer trade. Because the Mets lack a great pitching prospect, they will probably have to give up another outfielder. The Mets will do absolutely everything they can to stay away from surrendering 19 year old prospect Fernando Martinez. He’s been consistently their highest ranked prospect over the past two years. Would Martinez, Gomez, Pelfrey be enough to get Santana? The deal is certainly in Minnesota’s favor, but it’s a little too much for the Mets to give up. Their best hope is that Milledge or Gomez open the season red hot and they can get away with trading their players at an inflated value.

Worth Mentioning
- Why hasn’t Paul Lo Duca signed anywhere? I always thought the Mets would take him back, despite the fact that he was a clubhouse nightmare last year. Could Estrada be a bargaining chip? When a team bounces from almost signing a catcher to a three year deal to immediately trading a reliever they put so much into, you have to wonder.
- Mike Hampton is hurt again. This could be one of the worst signings ever, worse than Carl Pavano.

We’re all looking forward to the winter meetings on Monday, I’ll have much more to write about then…