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MLB Rumors: Johan Santana to Boston or New York and When?

By faketeams

Yesterday, the Yankees claimed be be done for the holidays on the Johan Santana front.  Today, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports the Red Sox are also done until the New Year. He reports:

  1.  The Sox will give a long-term extension.  This is against team philosophy but Santana is a great one and the Twins have not abused him - no starts over 120-pitches.
  2.  Boston has not changed their offer.
  3.  The Twins will get very serious post-New Year's Day.
  4.  If the Yankees do not include Ian Kennedy as the third piece, then Santana will be on the Red Sox.
John Harper of the NY Daily News  offers a slight refutation in the context of the disappointing off-season the New York Mets have so far experienced.  He sources an AL executive "close to the situation" who says the Red Sox aren't really interested in Santana because of the financial ramifications and are only involved to discourage the Yankees.

What the Red Sox really hope is the Mets land Santana, but that seems dependent on the Mets including Jose Reyes, which seems to be be closer to a dancing partner of the visions of sugar plums in the Twins' dreams than a likely scenario.  Surprisingly, Mr. Harper is not so certain about this.

He'd [Omar Minaya] better be right on this stance, or it could turn out to be something of a defining moment for Minaya. There are still plenty of people in baseball who think Reyeswill blossom into a superstar, but there are also some who admit Reyes' second-half swoon this year raised doubts about whether he'll fulfill his potential.

"Will blossom"?  If this were a Carlos Gomez/Fernando Martinez/Mike Pelfrey/Kevin Mulvey deal, then I'd agree.  None of those have bloomed in the slightest and can only do so by referencing the future possibilities.  Jose Reyes is already a star.  Has anyone seen the progression of walk totals from 23 to 57 to 77 while he kept his ABs and Ks steady?

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