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January 03, 2008

Hank's Back In Saddle & Talking Santana

From the Daily News -

After what he described as a "slow holiday season" for baseball business, Hank Steinbrenner is returning to his office Thursday to begin working on "a final decision" regarding a trade for Johan Santana. And he believes the Yankees have made the top offer for the Minnesota ace.

"I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one," Steinbrenner said Wednesday 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."

Steinbrenner said the offer "does not include two of the three young pitchers" - Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, from a group that also includes untouchable Joba Chamberlain - "but 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."

Steinbrenner would not divulge the Yanks' offer, but multiple reports have pegged it as Hughes, outfielder Melky Cabrera, pitching prospect Jeff Marquez and another prospect.

"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."

There has been a popular theory among some in baseball that the Red Sox have talked to the Twins about a trade only to drive up the price on the Yankees, but Steinbrenner says he doesn't believe that's true.

"At the same time, we won't be in it to keep him from them," Steinbrenner said. "Each team is in it for what they can handle. We have great young pitching, that's the main plan. Do we want to put Santana in there, who's 29 (in March), to be an ace for a few years?

"I know a majority of fans don't want to lose Hughes."

Steinbrenner reiterated that he would be delighted to get Santana but also happy to "stay the way we are. We're going to have the best pitching by far in baseball in two or three years and we'll be tough this year.

"We obviously already have position players."

Well, it's not in the class of Jim Beattie, Rick Anderson, Juan Beniquez, and Jerry Narron for Ruppert Jones, but, it seems as if the Yankees have set their package for Johan Santana and Hank is ready to pull the trigger if the Twins say "Yes."

If this deal goes down, in the end, for sure, we'll have to put this one in the ledger under "Hank" and not "Cashman."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at January 3, 2008 09:23 AM

Comments

Ugh, God, Hank really, truly never shuts up. Does he have to answer every phone call and give EVERY detail of what the Yankees are doing behind closed doors? How can Cashman operate with this guy revealing everything he's doing?

I said it on another blog, but I'll repeat it here: someone needs to build a time machine so we can travel back and get Steve Swindal a cab.

Posted by: baileywalk [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 3, 2008 10:22 AM

My guess is that Hank feels compelled to continually reveal the franchise's strategy because he is a very insecure man. I shudder to think about the degree to which he will overcompensate by making player personnel moves so that he doesn't have to face the reasons for his feelings of insecurity.

Posted by: Rich [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 3, 2008 11:29 AM

Well Rich.. his father is The Boss... im sure that took its toll on him growing up

Posted by: JPoster [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 3, 2008 11:40 AM

>>>>> someone needs to build a time machine so we can travel back and get Steve Swindal a cab.
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LOL. But I think he got drunk because his marriage, and thus his career, were already headed down the drain. I talked to a Tampa detective after the incident. Said Swindell was a wreck.

Here's a slightly different take on Hank's relentless jaw-boning... Perhaps, just perhaps, he's managed to let Santa and his agent know in no uncertain terms that, if Santa brings the goods in '08, the Yanks will be at the table with the bib around their neck and a payroll that just dropped Giambi's 20, Mussina's 18, Pavano's 10, etc.. i.e., dumped a boat load of salaries that are shed without really weakening the team! Maybe it pushes Santa Inc. to run out the clock in Minni and wait, what is now only ~10 months, to get his big payout. The Yanks might even be willing to sweeten the pot for him if they don't have to lose Hughes and Melky in the process (only a draft pick). That is, he gets more from the Yankees rather than having to share with Minni. If you are Santa, do you want to accept a trade anywhere else when you know the Yankees are clearly willing to crack open the pig bank? In other words, by Hank's tip-toeing to the edge of tampering, Minni has lost leverage with other clubs. Santana's only concern would be getting hurt or falling apart. If he's confident, he's probably willing to wait.

Posted by: #15 [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 3, 2008 12:27 PM