Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports the Twins will begin exploring trades for Johan Santana after he countered the team's 5-year/$93MM offer with a $126MM one. Christensen opines, "For the Twins to get the return they'd want -- likely three or four high-quality young players -- the other team would need assurances it could keep Santana beyond 2008."
I have no doubt that the Twins' asking price will be the same as the one the Marlins are asking for Miguel Cabrera. Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald offers up what the Boston Red Sox might deal.
A more realistic package, perhaps, would have Coco Crisp filling Minnesota's hole in center field that free agent Torii Hunter left behind and one of two top starting prospects, Buchholz or lefty Jon Lester, entering the mix. The Sox would likely have to include at least one other proven major league talent, plus one, more likely two, other minor leaguers. The Twins are known to be high on Crisp.
Coco Crisp, Bucholz or Lester, another major leaguer, and two more minor leaguers? That would make Santana a member of the Boston Red Sox, and, presumably, at the $126MM he countered to the Twins.