The news just came in. Carlos Silva has signed a 4 year, 48 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. It's not unexpected, if the Twins weren't going to pay Torii Hunter 12 million a year they sure as heck weren't going to spend that much on Carlos Silva.
Still, you never like to lose pitching, especially without getting anything in return, and while Silva had his ups and downs, he was generally a pitcher who could be relied on to go six or seven innings every start, and at his best it would be one ground ball after another until the opposing hitters got tired of swinging at the low sinking pitch he threw.
While some might think just the opposite, I'd say this makes it even more likely that Johan Santana eventually gets traded. The Twins rotation now becomes mostly a group of young, if talented, pitchers who are still going to need a season or two to prove themselves. Trade Santana, and the Twins can surround those pitchers with a bunch of young talent and let them grow into contenders by the time the new stadium opens in 2010. For now, though, it's looking more and more like the next couple of years will once again be filled with growing pains for Twins players and fans.
Keywords: Carlos Silva, Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners
