Twins GM Needs To Learn From His Mistake

New Twins GM Bill Smith really mishandled the Johan Santana trade.  He could have acquired Melky Cabrera and Phil Hughes from the Yankees or Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester from the Red Sox but he thought he could get more.  So he held out in an attempt to get the two AL East teams to out-bid each other in their pursuit of Santana's services.  This bidding war never materialized and as spring training approached Santana got restless.  At the risk of sounding like Sid Hartman, a friend of mine, who follows the team quite closely, told me that Johan went to the organization and insisted that they trade him immediately or he would hold out when pitchers and catchers reported to Fort Meyers in couple of weeks.  The Twins were stuck and the best they could do was get four prospects from the Mets in exchange for the best pitcher in the game. 

This was a major blunder by an inexperience general manager.  It will take several years to access the damage done to the organization by Smith's gaffe.

Ball players aren't the only ones who have to step up their game when they reach the majors.  Front office people have to do the same.  Bill Smith blew it with Johan Santana.  He can't afford to do the same with Joe Nathan.

With Santana, Hunter and Silva all gone, it's now obvious that the Twins are full-blown rebuilding mode.  The starting rotation that was the strength of this team as recently as 2006 will likely consist of Scott Baker, Boof Bonser, Kevin Slowey, perhaps Glen Perkins and maybe Francisco Liriano if his surgically-repaired elbow holds up.  These inexperienced starters, paired with a line-up that's still not looking all that formidable, will probably afford Nathan relatively few save opportunities. 

As much I'd like the Twins to hold onto a closer who's been nothing short of fantastic over the past four years, I don' think he'll want to stick around while the team rebuilds.  Nathan is in the last year of his contract.  The Twins will almost certainly have to deal him before he leaves via free agency like Hunter and Silva.  I suppose there is a chance that Nathan will elect to re-sign with Minnesota but I don't think it's likely.

So how will our new GM handle Joe Nathan?  He could try and trade him now before the start of the season.  He could also wait until the trade deadline approaches and send him to a contending club.  Whatever he decides to do, he has to get maximum value in return.  The organization can't afford any more of Smith's rookie mistakes.