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February 02, 2008

$antana $igns With Met$

From the Daily News -

Johan Santana and the Mets agreed Friday evening on the terms of a record-breaking $150 million, seven-year contract arrangement. It clears the biggest hurdle in the team's acquisition of the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

In return for the extension, Santana will waive the no-trade clause in his contract and allow the four-for-one deal between the Mets and Twins to go through.

The deal bumps this season's salary to approximately $20 million and adds six guaranteed years at $22-23 million.

Let's be honest. Over the last four seasons, Johan Santana and Brandon Webb have been the best two starting pitchers in baseball. Both are 28-years old. After those two, in terms of young starters, you have guys like Carlos Zambrano and Roy Oswalt. But, they're not in the Santana class.

Someone with the pitching talent, and current age, of Johan Santana is extremely rare in baseball today. But, seven years at an average annual value of $21.5 million? That's just insane - for a pitcher.

Around the year 2012, Mets fans are going to hate this contract. They'll be looking at Santana in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 the way that Yankees fans have been looking at Jason Giambi last season and this year.

Santana better win alotta games over the next four years, and lead the Mets to at least one ring in that time, to offset the back end of this contract.

Personally, there was a side of me that wanted to see the Yankees get Santana. And, I still feel they're short an "ace" this season. But, if it was going to take seven years at an average annual value of $21.5 million, well, for a pitcher - even one in the rare class of Johan - I would have to say "pass."

Even for teams like the Yankees and the Mets, who are printing their own money these days, a deal like this one for Santana is living for today and not caring about tomorrow.

Then again, in baseball, they do always say "Play for today. Don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow, it could rain." So, maybe that's what the Mets and Omar Minaya are thinking here?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at February 2, 2008 12:16 AM

Comments

Steve, I think that's just what they are doing. I think that's the case with any long contract - teams aren't thinking "will this guy be worth it in seven years?" they are thinking "what do I have to promise him to get him *today*?"

Posted by: carla [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 2, 2008 02:03 AM

Unlike the Yankees, the Mets don't play in the same league as the Twins, so they were willing to accept less from them.

Unlike the Yankees, the Mets don't have cost-controlled, high ceiling young pitchers like Joba, Hughes, and IPK. If they did, they probably wouldn't have traded them.

Unlike the Yankees, the Mets don't have to pay a 40% luxury tax.

Taken together, the deal made a lot more sense for the Mets than it did for the Yankees, although I agree that the contract presents a risk that may well outstrip the reward.

Posted by: Rich [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 2, 2008 02:39 AM

"Tomorrow it could rain." Do you think it will rain for the last three eyars of that contract?

Posted by: The Scout [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 2, 2008 08:31 AM

This was a deal the Mets had to make -- and it's a smarter contract than the one they gave to Pedro, who was already done when they signed him.

It's almost certain, since Santana's stuff has already diminished, that he won't be an ace throughout the entire length of this contract. But you have to wonder where baseball will be by the time year six of this contract rolls around. In today's market, pitchers with one good year under their belt, or the ability to throw 200 league-average innings, get 10, 11, 12 million a year. What will they be making in 2013? If Santana doesn't fall completely apart, maybe the contract won't seem all that insane.

But it was a no-brainer for the Mets. I don't think he guarantees them a World Series (I like the Dan Haren deal a lot better by the D'Backs and the D'Backs are, going forward, a better team than the Mets), but at least they're in the conversation now. Santana-Pedro-Perez is a nice front three.

As for the pitchers mentioned as the best the last four years: I think Peavy tops the NL. He had an off year in there, but he's been the NL's Santana. He's certainly better than Zambrano, one of the most overrated pitchers in any league.

Posted by: baileywalk [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 2, 2008 10:16 AM