'Tis the season — Major League Baseball's hot stove season,
that is. With temperatures dipping below freezing, and snow and ice covering
the ground, baseball may seem like a long ways away for most fans. But that
doesn't mean all's quiet on the MLB front.
On Tuesday, the Tigers and Marlins kicked off the trading
festivities by swapping a handful of players. Most notably, pitcher Dontrelle
Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera were sent to Detroit. With these two
additions, the Tigers are already looking to be a top contender in the American
League this season.
But comparing that story to the Johan Santana saga is like
comparing "Jingle All the Way" to "Christmas Vacation."
Simply told, Santana is the biggest name being discussed in
the winter talks in Nashville. Rightfully so, as Santana — a two-time Cy Young Award
winner — is arguably the game's best pitcher. In his career, he's gone 93-44
and has recorded 1,381 strikeouts. (He also hit a triple in interleague play
against the Marlins this year. Not too shabby.)
The only problem is that he's gotten too expensive for the
small-market Minnesota Twins to hang onto him, much like centerfielder Torii
Hunter, who darted for Anaheim in November. The Twins' pinchpenny owner, Carl
Pohlad, is opting to play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, refusing to dish out
the dough to keep his ace in the Twin Cities.
With the near-certainty that Santana will be shipped out at
some point, the biggest question during the winter meetings has been where he
will land. It should come as a surprise to no one that the New York Yankees and
Boston Red Sox were the two favorites early on, obvious choices since both
teams have more money than Santa Claus himself.
But when you pitch like Santana does, you're going to come
at a hefty price. That price was too steep, in fact, for the Bronx Bombers.
Shocking, I know. But the Yankees couldn't offer quite what the Twins had on
their wish list, and set an ultimatum of Monday night for a trade to happen.
That time came and went with no deal struck, meaning New York is likely out of
the race.
Which leaves Boston as the favorites.
It appears as if the only way the BoSox would fail to land
Santana at this point is if they are on Twins GM Bill Smith's naughty list
(pardon the abundance of holiday-related analogies). What that would mean is
that if they, like the Yankees, don't offer what the Twins are asking for, they
might lose out on landing the southpaw. Two key pieces that seem to be included
in the deal for the Twins to listen are outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and pitcher
Jon Lester, but Boston may not want to part with both of their young stars.
If Santana does find himself in a Red Sox uniform before
spring training, it shouldn't be a surprise to fans from either region. Much to
the joy of Beantowners, Minnesota has gift-wrapped a fair amount of its
athletes and shipped them off to Boston. We're not talking small gifts, either —
like that pair of socks your grandma knits you every year and you smile and
thank her politely for. No, the Land of 10,000 Lakes has given Boston gifts
(whether directly or indirectly) of Xbox 360 and iPhone proportions, gifts that
make you jump for joy and run around the room screaming. I'm speaking of Kevin
Garnett, David Ortiz, Randy Moss and Laurence Maroney, to name a few.
In return, Minnesota has received numerous lumps of coal:
Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, Justin Jones — you get the point.
No, I'm not here to pout or lament over the losses, for I
realize the sports industry is a business. And the hot stove trades have
certainly kept things interesting during the offseason, giving fans something
to look forward to. And besides, if the true holiday spirit is really about
giving, Minnesotans should be the most cheerful of all, right?
Ah, who am I kidding? Bah humbug!
Tyler Mason is a
junior majoring in journalism. If you'd like to sip some eggnog and talk about
the recent baseball trades with him, he can be reached at [email protected].
