Santana

http://chats.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=auditorium&webtag=bc-sportsmain



Peter Gammons chat — Transcript
Updated 12:59 PMJMI__Guest_ Do you think Lugo is the long term answer at shortstop for the Sox ?
Peter_Gammons Hello everyone... RE: Lugo: The way he played defensively the last 5 weeks, indicates he should be alright. He never recovered offensively from being sick before spring training. It will be interesting to watch if he's more consistent this year. If Jed Lowrie is still with them, he should allow them to give Lugo more rest and be a good alternative at SS.
alan_in_brighton__Guest_ Peter, what is the status of contract negotiations with Tito? Also, is there any truth to the rumor that they are looking to extend the contracts of Pap, Tek, and Kevin Youkilis?
Peter_Gammons I believe the Francona contract will get done before ST. And it should. I don't think you;re going to see them doing anything long term with the others, not yet. Youk would make most sense, but indications are they will wait and get him for house price. With Pap, they will just assume wait another year. Tek is great question, obvious they have no catching, but they've always seem to worry about catchers in mid 30'. So my guess that will play out until the end of his contract.
ATownsox__Guest_ Who do you think are possible teams that would accept a trade for Coco Crisp?
Peter_Gammons I think Texas... Oakland... would be the most likely if he's not part of any deal with Minnesota. I could see Billy Beane trading for Crisp and then turning around and trading him before season starts. A's think he's best CF in game right now.
cape__Guest_ What song will you be playing at hot stove - cool music? Do you play lead guitar or rhythm?
Peter_Gammons I'm definately playig rhythm. We're going to do a couple of songs off the CD from last year, but if I can finish a song about the Mitchell Report, we'll play it. It includes the line: "Bob Heise would be Jim Rice if he knew what I know"... Paul B. from Little Feat is here and he's going to play with me one song.
guest Where do you see Clay Buchholz fitting in next season, might he end up in triple A baring any injuries to the starting rotation?
Peter_Gammons I think he could start in Triple A, but by the time the season's over he'll be an important part of their rotation. They showed that resting starters during season, e.g. Beckett two weeks, Schilling time off, etc. can be very beneficial come October. Having 6 starters can eventually work its way out.
alan_in_brighton__Guest_ How did surgery go for Ortiz, think he will be in '06 shape for this season, or should we expect a solid year like this past season, with a little less HR power?
Peter_Gammons My guess is that he'll be fine. And in a lot less pain than he was at times last year. I thought for nearly three months, he was very clear that self confident presence was missing and it was injury related. In the 40 HR range... what's gonig to be interesting is going to be how Manny has with him. Manny rented a house in the Phoenix area and has become a manicle workout warrior in Tempe at API. From what I've heard from people at API, Manny is getting himself into phenominal shape. And having watched those workouts, I can tell you, they are extremely difficult.
tc__Guest_ Do you think Okajima can have another year like the on he just had? He was such a surprise and a big part of the Sox Success.
Peter_Gammons I would be surprised if he could duplicate that performance, but I do think he'll be a perfectly viable LF 8th inning reliever. What will be interesting will be to see what righthanders emerge along with Mike Timlin, especially whether Craig Hansen bounces back after a very strong Arizona Fall League performance.
JMI__Guest_ Which Hitting Prospects in the Sox System do you feel will make a BIG IMPACT in the near future
Peter_Gammons Probably the two highest regarded young hitters other than Brandon Moss are Larz Anderson and Ryan Kalish. Anderson is considered their best power prospect after a very strong season at Greenville as a 19 year old. Outfielder Josh Reddick made himself a significant prospect and scouts who saw some of the players out of last years draft were impressed, specifically 3B Will Middlebrooks, 1B Anthony Rizzo, and OF David Mailman.
Dan_from_Marlborough__Guest_ Hi Peter, I'm happy to see that you're health is good. You gave us all a scare my friend. I grew up reading about baseball with you and leigh Montville and hope that my 1 year old has the same priviledge soon. Jacoby for Santana...I'm not sure I want to part with him. I've got a feeling that he is going to be real real special and I think that Sox are loaded with enough pitching (Cheaper than Johan at that). Your thoughts please?
Peter_Gammons Santana is probably the best pitcher of this generation. He's young and he's a great athlete who should be able to last another 10 years, but the more I've thought about the Santana deal, the more I'm convinced it's not a great idea. Whether it's the Ellsbury deal or the Lester deal, the Sox would still be giving up three young players and I don't discount the importance that Lowrie will play in the next couple of years. Theo has rebuilt the RS farm system in a very short time and changed the culture. And I think that culture is really important. The baseball people with the Yankees feel the same about what Cashman has done and would prefer not to make a Santana deal. There are days when I really believe that the Red Sox and Yankees wake up and hoping somehow the Mets can find 4 or 5 good prospects in the organization and make the trade, but right now, that's highly unlikely.
soxkrazy__Guest_ Peter, please tell me you're a Hall & Oates fan, and what about Jon Lester? Will he be able to harness his control, limit his baserunners, and be an Andy Pettitte type?
Peter_Gammons I can't say I'm a big Hall and Oates fan, but I'm no one to talk... One of the most interesting thing about the winter meetings was that John Farrell was passionate about his case for Jon Lester becomming their equivalent of a young Pettitte. His velocity should be back to where it was 2 yrs. ago come ST. His breaking ball and changeup improved dramatically in the postseason. And if you go back and look at DVD of Game 4 and watch his presence given the opportunity to clinch the WS, it's remarkable. After the Cleveland series, the Indians front office, coaches, and player personnel people had a meeting and it was unanimously agreed that after Josh Beckett, the best pitcher on the Red Sox was Lester. That doesn't include Papelbon, different category.
Sox_Girl__Guest_ Hi Peter!! I can't wait for the Hot Stove preview on Saturday! Will you be there?? Will there be any surprise guests?
Peter_Gammons We will have Brian Cashman, he's coming. Scott Boras is coming, which will be a fascinting discussion. It will a lot of fun. There's a VIP reception and a concert at the Paradise as well, and the full event on Sunday night.
Caes__Guest_ Do Theo and Larry have a genuine relationship or is there still any tension from two years ago?
Peter_Gammons I think the relationship is very good now. Larry has immense respect for Theo and his work ethic. And I think some of the issues that existed probably were better dealt with by the brief rupture in their relationship.
jonas__Guest_ Will Jim Rice finally make it into the HOF?
Peter_Gammons I don't think so. I voted for him, but it's been interesting that there have been people like Rob Neyer who are so obsessed with degrading Rice's career. The fact that he retired as early as he did clearly has cost him because of the 382 home runs. But for him to be in the top 5 in MVP balloting 6 times in 12 years, to me, speaks more about his career than the fact that his career OPS is the same as Ellis Burks.
Chris__Venice__CA___Guest_ Peter, I always found it strange that Roger Clemens did not take more heat from the media as well as draw a suspension for his bizarre and violent behavior during the 2000 season. He literally almost killed Mike Piazza with a fastball to the head and then during the post -season he hurled a bat at him. For those of us who believe he took illegal narcotics to save his career it might be safe to assume that it was the steroids that caused his antisocial actions. Do you agree or have any thoughts?
Peter_Gammons It certainly is possible. However Roger was always very emotional as we saw during the 1990 playoffs in Oakland, but Roger faces a very difficult task proving his innocence at this point. If he ends up in a "he said, she said" lawsuit with Brian McNamee, it may only make things worse. What people with the Yankees will never understand is why Clemens brought McNamee to the Yankees from Toronto in the first place. In 2000, when Roger had hamstring problems early in the season, he convinced the club to allow him to bring McNamee on board because McNamee had worked with him and knew his body. In the end, we'll find out if it was worth it.
JMI__Guest_ Do you think JD Drew will settle down this year and start producing better power numbers?
Peter_Gammons I think he will. He hit very well in September. He played well in the postseason. And his family issues will be behind him. I don't think he was quite prepared for Boston and I also think that he's the type that can put fans and media completely out of sight.
Glenn_Hoffman_18__Guest_ Peter, been a fan of yours since your notes page with the Boston Globe. I am sure you have been asked many times before, but do you believe Roger Clemens' denial of steriods/HGH use?
Peter_Gammons It's hard for me to understand why McNamee would lie. Especially given the fact that Andy Pettitte has coroborated McNamee's testimony. There are those close to Roger who insist that in time, his innocence will be proven, so we all wait for that. But for now, we have to see if he can prove his innocence which won't happen if all they do is attack McNamee.
Joe__Guest_ Hey Peter, what's your opinion of how Bill Smith is handling the Santana issue, it seems he is desperately trying to get someone to play against the Sox, but no one is playing along.
Peter_Gammons I think one issue that Bill faces, is because Terry Ryan made so many great trades, he's trying to remake the team using Santana. I think Hank Steinbrenner would trade for Santana but only at the cost that was offered a month ago. The one team that continues to try to continue to build up inventory to trade are the Mets, and Smith may be waiting to see if any offer gets better.
yukonjack Peter, How would you rate Dice-K's first season in Boston and do you expect a big improvement in year 2?
Peter_Gammons I thought he was good, not great. What surprised me, was the inconsistency of his pitches, especially his command in the last three months. I do expect he'll be much better this year if for no other reason, that he will be used to the expectations from the Japanese media and from Red Sox fans. He is an extraordinary athlete and a truly loves to play which makes me believe that he will improve.
LSCII__Guest_ What difference will we see in NYYs now that George has passed the reins over to his sons?
Peter_Gammons This is an interesting year b/c it's Hank Steinbrenner and Joe Girardi instead of George and Joe Torre. I think the emphasis is going to remain on their young pitchers like Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. And I think Girardi will carry over the enthusiasm for the young players like Cano and Cabrera, that Don Mattingly brought to Torre. Baseball America has them ranked the 5th best org. in terms of prospects which is a huge jump. And Hank always liked young players and seems to be encouraged by this. Of course, if theyre in 4th place by May 1, they might trade everybody.
guest What are your thoughts on the Tigers trading for Cabrera and Willis?
Peter_Gammons I think Cabrera will be a mega-star in what has a chance to be the best offensive lineup in the league. Willis is tough to judge. Every number has gotten worse the last three years, and the question will be, did all the innings he threw at such a young age catch up to him?
danny__Guest_ Tim Wakefield quietly had a great year for the Sox. What are the chances of him putting together a similar campaign in 2008?
Peter_Gammons I think Wakefield may be able to pitch effectively until he's 45. He's very athletic, and he's in the shape of a 25 year old. He seems to continually come to grips with what it takes to stand out there and throw that pitch, so if his back holds up, he should continue to be one of the most undervalued pitchers in the game for another 3-4 years.
LSCII__Guest_ Hi Peter, love your stuff! Any truth to the rumor that you're planning on writing the forward to Jose Canseco's book sequel?
Peter_Gammons Haaaa... There is no truth to that, however, I'm the first one to admit, that while there were inconsistencies in his first book, he has the right to say "I told you so." One of the unfortunate shortcomings of the Mitchell Report is that it did not trace the pattern of performance-enhancing drugs through Oakland and Texas, not to mention the huge importation of drugs from Latin America.
galvin__Guest_ Do you think it was smart of Roger to hand pick Mike Wallace since Wallace is a freind of Steinrenner and is a frequent guest in his box at Yankee Stadium?
Peter_Gammons Probably not. Wallace did a piece on Clemens for 60 Minutes a few years ago and had admired him from his Boston days. As you know, Mr. Wallace is from Brookline and grew up three miles from Fenway Park. I'm sure that Clemens felt more comfortable with Wallace but in the end, how this plays in the court of public opinion likely won't be decided for a long time.
long435__Guest_ Am I the only one who cringes at the thought that Schilling might have a mediocre season and still get one cy young vote from a local writer, and the frenzy that will ensue.
Peter_Gammons I do not worry about the integrity of any writer. I think Schilling is going to come back and finish his career with a great season. I think it's unfortunate that writers will be put in that situation but this has been a long time coming given the incentive bonuses involving BBWA Awards.
Rebs__Guest_ Seems like Manny may have finally settled himself here in Boston, only took 8 years. Do you think there is any chance he resigns after this contract?
Peter_Gammons I do think the Red Sox will pick up his option so that he plays through 2010. I think there's a good chance that he'll want to stay, but where he is at that point in his career is something that's impossible to predict. I know he'd like to finish his career in Boston, but when sluggers get close to 40 years old, the market can shift dramatically.
larry_david__Guest_ Will Scott Boras be making any announcements during the Super Bowl? Maybe another one of his clients will be filing for free agency that day?
Peter_Gammons No, Scott has apologized for the timing and clearly feels badly for the storm he created. It was one of those perfect storms and he knows that it took away from that 4th game. What we don't know is how much Alex Rodriguez was a part of the timing. Alex's performance on 60 Minutes proved one thing, he's a baseball player, not a Hollywood star. And players around the game will not forget that he actually said that the game is easy for him.
Peter_Gammons Thanks folks, hope to see you at the Hot Stove, Cool Music events this weekend. Stay warm. Peter.

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/01/03/gammons-santana-trade-not-a-great-idea/#comments


Peter Gammons did a chat for Boston.com and addressed several topics of interest involving the Yankees.

His take on the Johan Santana trade market:

“The more I’ve thought about the Santana deal, the more I’m convinced it’s not a great idea. Whether it’s the Ellsbury deal or the Lester deal, the Sox would still be giving up three young players and I don’t discount the importance that Lowrie will play in the next couple of years. Theo has rebuilt the RS farm system in a very short time and changed the culture. And I think that culture is really important. The baseball people with the Yankees feel the same about what Cashman has done and would prefer not to make a Santana deal. There are days when I really believe that the Red Sox and Yankees wake up and hoping somehow the Mets can find 4 or 5 good prospects in the organization and make the trade, but right now, that’s highly unlikely.”

I think he’s exactly right.

Gammons also reveals that Brian Cashman will be at Fenway Park on Saturday for the annual Hot Stove/Cool Music roundtable discussion. Gammons, Theo Epstein, Bill James, J.P. Ricciardi and others will be involved.

Very cool of Cashman to participate in the charity fundraiser. For ticket information, check out the Hot Stove/Cool Music site.

day, 01:07 PM
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Can a player file some sort of tampering charges if a team comes out and openly says that it will not pay a certain amount? That definitely hurts the players negotiating power with his current team.

Seriously, I understand it is the Yankees and 99% of this board wouldn't mind seeing their plane go down but this type of statement will have no impact on whether or not the Twins sign Santana.
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post Today, 01:17 PM
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QUOTE(Bob420 @ Jan 3 2008, 01:07 PM) *
Seriously, I understand it is the Yankees and 99% of this board wouldn't mind seeing their plane go down but this type of statement will have no impact on whether or not the Twins sign Santana.


Seriously, I think you're missed the point.


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post Today, 01:21 PM
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I get the point. I just don't think it is a big deal and certainly don't think it hurts the twins chances of keeping Santana.
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post Today, 01:23 PM
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From Keith Law's chat today...

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=18665

QUOTE
Shant (NYC): Speaking of Hankenstein, isn't he tampering yet again with his recent proclamations?

Keith Law: (1:13 PM ET ) I believe it's acceptable to comment on a player when you are in active negotiations to acquire him. Whether acceptable means "explicitly allowed" or "tacitly allowed" is another matter, but I don't think Hank has done anything wrong ... in that sense.


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"Granted, maybe this was not the best idea, but, at least we care enough about our employees that we are willing to fight for them. And if you so much as harm one hair on Stanley's head, we will burn Utica to the ground" - Michael Scott
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post Today, 01:25 PM
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QUOTE(Bob420 @ Jan 3 2008, 01:07 PM) *
Can a player file some sort of tampering charges if a team comes out and openly says that it will not pay a certain amount? That definitely hurts the players negotiating power with his current team.

Seriously, I understand it is the Yankees and 99% of this board wouldn't mind seeing their plane go down but this type of statement will have no impact on whether or not the Twins sign Santana.

Why would a team ever do that silly hypothetical? There's nothing to gain from that situation. The effect is the original team gets to keep their player at a lower price. Does that ever happen? No. It's always feigned interest to drive the price up and make the opposition use more assets to fill the roster. Think.


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post Today, 01:26 PM
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QUOTE(Bob420 @ Jan 3 2008, 01:21 PM) *
I get the point. I just don't think it is a big deal and certainly don't think it hurts the twins chances of keeping Santana.


It hurts their chances of maximizing his trade value if every other team knows that Hank is telling Johan that he will make the most money as a MFY. Why would the Sox or the Mets pony up a better offer to beat NY now that Hank has made it worth Johan's while to hold out for a trade to the Bronx?

Come on Selig - slap the Son of SiaS down.


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post Today, 01:32 PM
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QUOTE(FoulkeYouk @ Jan 3 2008, 01:25 PM) *
Why would a team ever do that silly hypothetical? There's nothing to gain from that situation. The effect is the original team gets to keep their player at a lower price. Does that ever happen? No. It's always feigned interest to drive the price up and make the opposition use more assets to fill the roster. Think.



I have seen GM's say they won't pay a certain amount for a player.
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post Today, 01:33 PM
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QUOTE(Bob420 @ Jan 3 2008, 01:21 PM) *
I get the point. I just don't think it is a big deal and certainly don't think it hurts the twins chances of keeping Santana.


With all due respect, your handicapping of the Santana sweepstakes is irrelevant. What Hank did with his "we'll give Johan the best extension" was harm the Twins interest (either by diminishing their ability to re-sign him or lessen the trade value received from other teams) and was tampering.

This post has been edited by bankshot1: Today, 01:34 PM


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post Today, 01:34 PM
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I guess Law doesn't think it is that big of a deal.
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post Today, 01:36 PM
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Keith Law's opinion doesn't matter. The Twins' opinion matters.


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post Today, 01:38 PM
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That's not what Steinbrenner said. As quoted in the NY Daily News, he said "And let's face it, we're the best able to handle the kind of contract (extension) Santana will be after."

He didn't say the Yankees would offer the best contract, he said he was in the best financial position to absorb a big contract. That's just stating the obvious, i.e. that the Yankees are the richest team in baseball.
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post Today, 01:39 PM
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QUOTE(86spike @ Jan 3 2008, 01:36 PM) *
Keith Law's opinion doesn't matter. The Twins' opinion matters.



Your opinion doesn't matter either.
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post Today, 01:44 PM
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QUOTE(Bob420 @ Jan 3 2008, 02:39 PM) *
Your opinion doesn't matter either.


Sweet input, really!

I can't get enough of Hank and his shooting from the hip attitude. The guy is hysterical and has no concept of what it takes to run a ball club. I see this only ending badly for the Yankees and that is more than fine with me.

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?showtopic=26786&pid=1316851&st=0&#entry1316851

I don't think stating the obvious (the bolded part of your quote) is tampering - everyone knows the Yankees can handle any large contract easier than anyone else can. I don't think anything in there constitutes tampering. It's just Hank being George. If he said, "they should trade him because they won't be able to match our offer to him next fall" - that would be tampering. Now it's just so much bluster and I wouldn't get too worked up about it.

If You're the Twins - aern't you pissed off that Hank is undercuttign your ability to get the best possible package in return for Johan by trying to scare off other suitors with his not-even-thinly-veiled assertion that the Yanks can give him the most money out of anyone? Johan has a NTC that he will need to waive, so with Hank crowing about the MFYs ability to give him what he wants... that is an incentive for him to deny a trade anywhere else... which is a incentive for teams like the Sox and Mets to not go 'overboard' to acquire him... which means the Yanks' offer need not go higher either.

The loser here is the Twins who are trying to get the best possible return.

I think it's clearly tampering, even if what Hank is saying is obvious. He's not allowed to discuss players under other teams' control... period.


Tampering would refer to Minnesota's ability to resign the player.

Steinbrenner is openly saying he will give the player more than he thinks Minnesota can afford. He's making it more difficult for the Twins to negotiate a contract on their own.

Is it in baseball's best interest for top players to migrate to the top two or three markets?

The extension of this argument is whether you want any team to be able to exhibit this behavior. Let's say the Twins have scouted a player on the Brewers, and they feel he could be a starter. So they call up his agent and say "I know you're about to sign an extension for $1 million a year, but we'd give you $1.5 million."

We're rapidly developing the English soccer system here, where the Red Sox play Chelsea to the Yankees' Manchester United.

Hank is just being a buffoon again. He alluded to yet another artificial deadline for the Twins to ignore, and is beating his chest about the Yankees' offer being best (which is really for the Twins to assess) and them being best able to afford Santana (as he is the Master of the Obvious).

Given that the Twins and MLB did nothing the last time Hank opened up his mouth about these topics, I think it's pretty safe to say that this will be left alone, as well.

As an aside, does Hank really think telling the media that the Yankees' offer is best will confer any advantage on the Yankees?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3179423

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics made their second major trade in three weeks, sending outfielder and fan favorite Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox for three minor leaguers on Thursday.

The A's -- who dealt ace Dan Haren to Arizona on Dec. 14 -- received left-hander Gio Gonzalez, right-hander Faustino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney.

http://www.yp-forums.net/index.php?showtopic=11632&pid=482484&st=0&#entry482484

Baseball Digest Daily is reporting that the A's have traded Nick Swisher to the White Sox for Gio Gonzalez, Fautino De Los Santos, and Ryan Sweeney. I'd heard about the Sweeney part but hadn't been able to confirm it. This is a fascinating trade - let's discuss.

I have to imagine the White Sox plan to use Swisher as their center fielder for the next couple of years; he did play 59 games there in '07. Kenny Williams stuck to his word about adding OBP to his team, picking up Swisher and Carlos Quentin to fill out his outfield. Swisher, 27, is signed at a very reasonable price: $3.5MM in '08, $5.3MM in '09, $6.75MM in '10, $9MM in '11, and a $10.25MM club option for '12 with a $1MM buyout. The option gets a $1.75MM bump if Swisher is top five for the MVP voting during the contract. He has limited no-trade protection for 2011-12.

The White Sox paid a massive price to get their man, however. Pitchers De Los Santos and Gonzalez were their two best prospects, according to Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein. De Los Santos is said to have a huge ceiling, whereas Gio is a solid lefty who's nearly big-league ready. Goldstein ranked Sweeney eighth on the team, but projects him as more of a fourth-outfielder type (he was once very highly regarded though).

If it wasn't obvious with the Dan Haren trade, the A's are in full-fledged rebuilding mode. Joe Blanton, Huston Street, and Mark Ellis could be next to go.

...posted by Matthew Cerrone...

http://www.metsblog.com/


In a report for FoxBusiness.com, Matt Egan takes a closer look at how and why teams sell naming rights to corporations for their news stadiums, such as the Mets have done with Citigroup and Citi Field.

Egan talks about the subject with Yankees COO Lonn Trost, Jeff Knapple of Wasserman Media, and me, Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com, who says…

“I’m far more concerned with what they are doing on the inside of the stadium than the name on the outside.”

…i will say this, though, my only issue with naming rights, which i told egan though he did not mention it in the report, is that it would be quite annoying if the name on the stadium changed every other season like it does for some teams…of course, the name will hardly impact whether or not i buy tickets to a game, which is all the team is concerned with i would bet…

…hmm, $400 million divided by 20 years is $20 million per year…hey, so, assuming Citigroup is still in business next season, how about they kick in a few more million, the Mets trade for Johan Santana and they write Citigroup on his back instead of his last name…

…that’s a joke, by the way

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=18665

Mike - Chicago: How long with the Sox control Swisher? So they win the Central now?

SportsNation Keith Law: (2:23 PM ET ) Hah. They'll still finish in third. They have Swisher for three more years and I believe he's already signed as well.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3179641

There is still a chance for the New York Yankees to receive a belated holiday gift. Talks between them and the Minnesota Twins for Johan Santana decreased to a murmur in December. Now, with Hank Steinbrenner back in the office, the push is on for a resolution to the pursuit of Santana once and for all.

Steinbrenner told the New York Daily News, "We're not desperate, so we're not going to chase anything."

But, he added, "In the next two weeks, we're going to have to get everything done."

According to the Daily News and the Boston Globe, the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox remain in the hunt for Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner.

"I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one," Steinbrenner told the Daily News in a telephone interview. "I feel confident they're not going to trade him before checking with us one last time and I think they think we've already made the best offer."

Multiple reports have speculated the Yankees' offer includes pitcher Phil Hughes, outfielder Melky Cabrera, pitching prospect Jeff Marquez and another prospect. Steinbrenner would not comment, but he did says, "It's still the best one. And let's face it, we're the best able to handle the kind of contract [extension] Santana will be after."

The Mets have said that they will not include Jose Reyes in any offer, but they have various prospects that could be in the mix, including pitchers Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Kevin Mulvey and outfielders Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. The Red Sox scenario includes one with Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson being proffered.

"I either have to do it [a Santana deal] or don't do it, same thing for the Red Sox, I guess," Steinbrenner added. "I think the Twins would like to keep him, so I don't think there's any hurry on anyone's part. It all depends on what he asks for in an extension. You obviously have to be very careful with pitchers, for obvious reasons."