Will Carlos Gomez Be Worth More Than Johan Santana?

by faketeams on Jun 3, 2008 12:16 PM EDT in Baseball

It is the bottom of the third in the Yankees/Twins game, and Carlos Gomez is at the plate. Yankees starter Andy Pettitte throws him ball one. My immediate thought was, "Why are you throwing him balls? Don't you know he is a free swinger who has a crappy OBP?"

Gomez fouls off the next pitch with a big hack and shoots a bullet by first baseman Jason Giambi on the next one. Both swings looked strong. Maybe that is why Pettitte threw him a ball. He swings hard at strikes. With his horrible OBP, you make him do the same but at a ball. Unfortunately, he didn't swing at the ball.

Gomez is on first, and I'm anxious to see one of the games' fastest runners face-off against one of the game's best pick-off artists. Gomez takes his lead and looks ready. Pettitte throws over, but it is behind Gomez and Giambi can't get it. The errant throw rolls into the bullpen area and Gomez races to third.

The E1 doesn't measure Gomez' effect on the game, but it was there for my lying eyes. The next batter, 2B Alexi Casilla, singles home Gomez. At first, he is dancing like he is baiting Pettitte, he of the great pick-off move. That takes guts for a player of Casilla's caliber.

Joe Mauer hits one back to the box that Pettitte knocks down. Without seeing why, he looks to second but throws to first for the out. Replays show Casilla would have stole second off Pettitte. His jump was huge.

Then I begin to think Gomez may be rubbing off on Casilla, and maybe that accounted for his current behavior at first and the fact he has been very productive in 2008. If true, then Gomez is more of an asset than anyone has given him credit for so far. Who would have thought his energy was infectious?

By the time the 2008 season ends, I wonder how many pundits would be willing to trade Carlos Gomez straight-up for Johan Santana. I know I am way ahead of the pack in my appreciation of Gomez' skill set, but he looks like he is getting better every game. Johan Santana looks like he is no longer the pitcher who deserved a $139MM contract extension.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2008 - Carlos Gomez	52	218	32	61	9	3	4	23	8	57	17	6	.280	.311	.404

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2008 - Johan Santana	7-3	12	12	0	0	0	0	81.2	78	31	29	12	20	71	3.20	1.20

Poll

Assuming Carlos Gomez and Johan Santana perform similarly over the next four months as they did in the first two, would you trade Carlos Gomez straight-up for a $139MM Johan Santana next Winter?

Yes. Even at $139MM over six more years, Johan Santana is a better risk/reward player.

34 votes

No. Carlos Gomez' defense, speed and potential power are too valuable at the league minimum salary.

39 votes

73 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Johan

Johan is having his best start in years, if not ever. He has always been a slow starting pitcher, typically winning 10+ games after the All Star break. What happens if the Twins had kept Johan for 2008? They are a contending team. Right now they trail by 1/2 game, but their chances of winning the division are Johan and none, and Johan has left town.

The Twins fans have it right and are staying away in droves— attendance last night versus Yankees: 20,168. Most of the fan noise has nothing to do with the game. The typical dimwit at the game yells at the ushers who attempt to destroy beach balls before they reach the field of play. (I live in Minnesota, but do not have to like it.)

This is not to distract from Carlos Gomez. His defense is great and he has a better RZR than Torii Hunter this year. His speed game, especially the bunts, has been effective, and he has hit fewer pop-ups, and more homeruns than the majority of Twins. It annoys me that Gomez bats first, as I have seen too many one run games end with Joe Mauer on the on-deck circle. Carlos may be the real deal, but I suggest to you that in seven years, people will be talking about Johan Santana’s Hall of Fame credentials, not those of Carlos Gomez.

The Twins were smart in targeting Gomez, but in the process, they left the 2008 Central Division on the table, and most likely subsequent years as well, and I thought good management was about winning.

by bertrecords on Jun 3, 2008 1:17 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe

Johan’s move to the NL hasn’t resulted in any noticeable improvement in his numbers. he had 87 Ks through May last year and 71 this year in eight fewer innings.

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by faketeams on Jun 3, 2008 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

The Twins would be better with Johan this season, and Gomez would likely be playing regularly for the Mets. Then the Mets could pay for Johan next winter and still have Gomez, Mulvey, Humber and Guerra. Humber would have already been recalled and Mulvey would likely be close.

If only they had foreseen the huge drop in power in the AL this season.

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by faketeams on Jun 3, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Mets won the trade

My position before the trade was that the Twins should offer $125 m to Johan for 5-6 years, basically the same deal the Mets gave him. Then, when the trading deadline comes and the team is not in contention, the Twins can trade Johan for what they need. They get at least as good of a deal as what the Mets gave. This year, the Twins needed to keep Santana, as they would have a chance to win the division with him.

Trading before the season was not the worst the Twins could have done, as Gomez is a good player, the Twins scouts deserve credit for recognizing it, and Guerra has potential. (Though, they may help later, Mulvey, WHIP 1.52, and Humber, ERA 5.53, are currently candidates for AA: http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=292&f=2058&t=2473981&sto=pagestart )

The published salary offers were a joke that would have offended me if I were Johan. Maybe, the Twins could not resign him, and had to deal. Anyway, there are a lot more Mets fans in Minnesota than there used to be, and if I were a Mets fan, I would be thrilled to have Johan.

by bertrecords on Jun 3, 2008 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Couldn't Do That

The Twins wouldn’t have been able to sign Santana and then turn around and trade him at the deadline. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it states somewhere in the collective bargaining agreement that a player could request to become a free agent if he is traded after signing a multi year contract. I think it might only be in the first year but that would still apply in the scenario you are throwing out there.

Same guy, new name.

by stillredsoxfan on Jun 4, 2008 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Ellsbury

I still think they would have been better off with Ellsbury. Gomez will be an OBP problem so the speed will be wasted in a non leadoff position in the lineup.

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by Dailyrotopickups on Jun 3, 2008 1:17 PM EDT reply actions