Red Sox still in solid shape in Santana sweepstakes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The music stopped in Music City on baseball's winter meetings Thursday, but the beat goes on in the Johan Santana trade talks.
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| Johan Santana remains a Twin ... for now. (Getty Images) |
Before departing, Boston general manager Theo Epstein made sure to touch base with Bill Smith, his Minnesota counterpart, one last time as the highest profile of all the potential deals remained tantalizingly within reach.
"The Twins and Red Sox agreed to continue to have an open dialogue," Epstein said while walking through one of the long and winding resort hallways on his way out.
Though he refused comment on the particulars of the negotiations, sources close to the talks said that they remain about where they've been all week.
The Red Sox are interested in acquiring the ace left-hander and are engaging the Twins in discussions. But Boston hasn't budged on its proposal of pitcher Jon Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp, shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie and another minor league prospect. The Twins are believed to be insisting that both Lester and hot center field prospect Jacoby Ellsbury be included in the deal.
"We're disappointed we didn't get a chance to make the club better," Smith, the rookie Twins GM, said. "We had a lot of talks that haven't led anywhere yet. Right now, we've got the best team we can get. We're pursuing more avenues to make it better.
"If the worst-case scenario is that Johan Santana is our opening day starter, that's a good scenario."
Boston remains in the drivers' seat to complete the deal because it has both the players and the cash. Santana has a complete no-trade clause, and it's going to take something like a six-year, $150 million offer from the right team to entice him to waive it.
The Red Sox can do that and, to a lesser degree, the pitching-starved New York Mets can -- they have the money, but their player pool isn't as deep as that of the Red Sox.
Seattle has spoken with the Twins, and while the Mariners probably have the money, they're not wild about trading center fielder Adam Jones and pitcher Brandon Morrow -- and, it's believed that Santana might decline a trade to the Pacific Northwest. A native of Venezuela, a source close to Santana said that his preference is to move to a large-market team in the eastern United States.
Texas has conducted discussions with the Twins as well, but the Rangers' pool of young talent is thin, too, and the Rangers do not think they can afford to part with pitchers Eric Hurley, Edinson Volquez and first baseman Chris Downs.
Meanwhile, right up until the time GM Brian Cashman and his contingent departed for New York, the Yankees continued to tell people that they're out of the Santana bidding. Offering pitcher Phil Hughes and outfielder Melky Cabrera wasn't enough -- for now, at least. The Twins were said to have insisted that pitching prospect Ian Kennedy be included as well.
