Minnesota Twins: Trade Talks, Signings, And Johan Santana

Major League Baseball as a whole may be pre-occupied with the Mitchell report and the problem of steroid abuse, but the main topic of conversation among Twins fans remains the possible trade of Johan Santana. No current Twins' players were mentioned in the report, so here in Minnesota we're free to keep talking about the possibilities of a trade.

Here's one man's opinion. Johan Santana is the best pitcher I have ever seen. Roger Clemens may be more over-powering, but if the art of pitching consists of keeping hitters off-balance and unable to time your pitches, Santana is currently in a class by himself. From what others have said, Sandy Koufax may have been his equal, but I was not old enough to see him pitch in person.

I'm guessing that knowing the size of Santana's potential contract, the Twins' payroll, and the fact that they have a new General Manager, other teams figured they could low-ball the Twins  and get him for a relatively low price. But the Twins have several holes to fill, including center field, and any deal for Santana needs to fill at least two of those holes. Nobody made that kind of an offer, and Bill Smith did the right thing in holding off on a trade. 

Meanwhile, this week the Twins did sign a couple of players. Adam Everett is a first-rate defensive shortstop who won't wow anyone with his hitting, but who should uphold the Twins' reputation for outstanding defense. Mike Lamb is expected to compete for the starting third baseman position, and with his hitting he could help shore up the bottom half of the order, which the Twins really need if they're going to compete with the likes of Detroit and Cleveland. If he works out, it will allow Nick Punto fill the utility infielder spot, a position he is much better suited for. 

And don't give up on a trade happening. This weekend the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported that the Yankees are still interested in trading for Santana. As other teams look to complete their rosters, and the July trade deadlina approaches, Santana's value can only go up. After all, some are already willing to offer the moon and the stars, and, the worst that can happen is that Twins fans get to watch Santana's magnificent pitching for one more summer.