Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

[snepp]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

Bedard is 8 days older than Santana.

[ComfortablyLomb]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

Bedard is 8 days older than Santana.

And not nearly the pitcher that Santana is or has been, nor as healthy. A 28 year old who has had half a decade of seasons as one of the best two or three pitchers in the game versus a guy who threw 85% of an awesome season isn't comparing guys who are in the same career or value ballpark. What's your point?

[snepp]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

What's your point?

Me?

No point intended, just thought it was a fun fact that Bedard is actually older than Santana. It might make a good trivia question, I'd guess that most fans wouldn't have any idea.

[djep]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

And not nearly the pitcher that Santana is or has been, nor as healthy. A 28 year old who has had half a decade of seasons as one of the best two or three pitchers in the game versus a guy who threw 85% of an awesome season isn't comparing guys who are in the same career or value ballpark. What's your point?

He's left handed too. Those lefties come at a premium. At 28 he is just aproaching his prime.

As a Red Sox fan, do you want him on your team? I know you do because as a Yankee fan I know I would. Unless he blows his arm out (and who can really predict that) this guy can be a dominant force for the next decade. 28 these days is not what it was a decade ago, especially for funky lefties with wicked stuff. There is no way Baltimore will want to deal with that in their own division, even if they're not going to be competitive for the next few years. That would only hurt their own cause.

EDIT: I just saw your post about not wanting him on the Sox. But 28 for a left handed starter like Bedard...he's just a baby. Al Leiter didn't really get his career going until he was 30.

[ComfortablyLomb]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

He's left handed too. Those lefties come at a premium. At 28 he is just aproaching his prime.

As a Red Sox fan, do you want him on your team? I know you do because as a Yankee fan I know I would. Unless he blows his arm out (and who can really predict that) this guy can be a dominant force for the next decade. 28 these days is not what it was a decade ago, especially for funky lefties with wicked stuff. There is no way Baltimore will want to deal with that in their own division, even if they're not going to be competitive for the next few years. That would only hurt their own cause.

EDIT: I just saw your post about not wanting him on the Sox. But 28 for a left handed starter like Bedard...he's just a baby. Al Leiter didn't really get his career going until he was 30.

Yankee Stadium rewards left-handed starters a lot more than Fenway Park does. They neutralize the short porch in RF in Yankee Stadium and get the benefit of that deep power alley in left field. I think Fenway punishes them to a degree because of the wall. IMO a guy like Santana would do a lot better at dealing with that effect than a guy like Bedard isn't as good a pitcher. Compound that with any potential fighting with the Boston media and you have a huge problem. My understanding is that he doesn't get along with the Baltimore media, they would eat him alive in Boston. But my point is you should want him a lot more than the Sox just because he would fit your park a lot better. Also, we already have a B version of Al Leiter in the making, Jon Lester. Good stuff but he ends up throwing a lot of pitches early because his command is so suspect.

Going forward past 2008 the Sox have a Beckett, Matsuzaka, Buccholz, and Lester rotation with Wakefield maybe hanging around IF they end up doing nothing this offseason. I don't think there's anything wrong with that crew. If you want to add Santana and subtract Lester (and some other stuff), fine. If you want to add Santana and subtract Ellsbury and some other stuff, great. Bedard though? Eh, I'd rather do nothing.

[boston_sports_rule]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

A columnist in Minnesota stated that the Sox and Twins were talking last weekend. The Twins are focused on the Ellsbury/Masterson/Lowrie/4th prospect package. No trade is imminent.

The Twins would like Weaver from the Angels if they started talking.

[djep]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

Yankee Stadium rewards left-handed starters a lot more than Fenway Park does. They neutralize the short porch in RF in Yankee Stadium and get the benefit of that deep power alley in left field. I think Fenway punishes them to a degree because of the wall. IMO a guy like Santana would do a lot better at dealing with that effect than a guy like Bedard isn't as good a pitcher. Compound that with any potential fighting with the Boston media and you have a huge problem. My understanding is that he doesn't get along with the Baltimore media, they would eat him alive in Boston. But my point is you should want him a lot more than the Sox just because he would fit your park a lot better. Also, we already have a B version of Al Leiter in the making, Jon Lester. Good stuff but he ends up throwing a lot of pitches early because his command is so suspect.

Going forward past 2008 the Sox have a Beckett, Matsuzaka, Buccholz, and Lester rotation with Wakefield maybe hanging around IF they end up doing nothing this offseason. I don't think there's anything wrong with that crew. If you want to add Santana and subtract Lester (and some other stuff), fine. If you want to add Santana and subtract Ellsbury and some other stuff, great. Bedard though? Eh, I'd rather do nothing.

I think the whole "lefties have more success in Yankee Stadium" / "righties do better at Fenway" are overblown nowadays. 30 years ago when you hardly found anyone with enough pop to hit it out the other way these axioms may have held more weight.

Oh, I don't blame you for feeling comfortable with the status quo regarding the Red Sox rotation. They are set for a long time with good young arms. But if I'm the O's GM it would take an awfully great package to entice me to trade this guy within my own division.

[CWood2]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

Come on Minnesota, the Lester package is better ... don't you like the Lester package? Young pitcher, huh ... huuuh??

[boston_sports_rule]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

With Haren being dealt, I think the Twins are waiting for the Yankees to come back to talk with them.

Minnesota wants Ellsbury and think if the Sox get desperate they want Bucholz too.

[CMH]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

I heard a report that the Yankees haven't ruled out getting back into the Santana talks.

Why is that not surprising.

[eXperiment63]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

With Haren being dealt, I think the Twins are waiting for the Yankees to come back to talk with them.

Minnesota wants Ellsbury and think if the Sox get desperate they want Bucholz too.

Thing is, the Sox aren't desperate, and they won't be.

Beckett
Buchholz
Matsuzaka
Lester

4 YOUNG starters, all with really good stuff. Not to mention the ones we have coming through the system too.

[CMH]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

And to add to that, even if the Yanks add Santana I can't see the Red Sox feeling afraid.

The Yanks would have to give up two of their young pitching prospects and even with Santana it would hurt the depth of their rotation and only make their front end possibly as good as the Red Sox front end.

[CWood2]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

I think the Sox continue to wait it out. Unless the Yanks add Kennedy, they're still the frontrunners. It's pretty clear that Theo isn't going to do anything stupid to land Johan, and having him go to NY at an inflated price is not an undesirable outcome. And as much as the Dodgers and Angels could offer, I don't see either one as a serious contender.

It's your move Hanky ...

[nyisles16]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

I heard a report that the Yankees haven't ruled out getting back into the Santana talks.

Why is that not surprising.

that would be correct

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7568074

[NYJets]

Re: Don't be surprised if Johan Santana is a Yankee before the season gets underway.

Yankees shouldn't change anything. For the big market teams, Haren being traded doesn't affect anything. He wasn't really a backup plan like some people are saying, he was a lesser, though still really good pitcher, that would cost more prospects. For a small market team, he might have been the better option since he's cheaper, but the Yankees, Sox, Mets are more concerned about prospects.

Yankees would be idiots if they upped the offer.