Santana Trade Talks Nearing Resolution...Maybe

According to a post on MLB Trade Rumors earlier today, the Minnesota Twins are expected to finally trade two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana to the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, or New York Mets at some point within the next ten days.

I can't get to either link included in the post (one requires a length registration process I'm not willing to endure, the other is ESPN Insider), but two things stood out from the information that was provided: one, Santana would likely require a huger-than-I-expected extension from the team that acquires him (six years, $150 million is tossed out rather casually), and two, the Red Sox may have removed Jon Lester from their offer.

Ironically, I was looking at Manny Ramirez's contract information this afternoon and remembering a time when the Red Sox couldn't give him away because his $20 million annual salary was deemed too high. You remember those days, don't you, when Major League Baseball experienced its famous "market correction" and started paying players more reasonably? Seems that the owners and players are both over that little bit of silliness.

Honestly, I can't say whether or not I'd like it if the Red Sox made a $150 million commitment to Santana. On the one hand, you're acquiring and locking up the best pitcher in baseball. On the other hand, are you going to regret spending all that money when the market again "corrects" in a few years and Santana is way overpaid, or if he hurts himself within, say, the first half of the deal and practices his Mike Hampton impression for the remainder of his contract? Given those questions, it's no surprise the sides are having trouble completing a deal.