NEW YORK (AP) -Any team in baseball would want Johan Santana. The New York Mets need him.
Perhaps the only thing that kept the Mets out of the last two World Series was this: Their rotation lacked a durable, dominant ace.
Of course, they weren't the only club without one. In the big leagues, legitimate No. 1 starters are the hardest commodity to find.
So when the Mets had a chance Tuesday to trade for Santana, they jumped at it. Omar Minaya has always been an aggressive general manager, and he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to land arguably the game's best pitcher.
The Mets agreed to send Minnesota four prospects, including three pitchers, for a guy who could cost them $120 million or more to sign to a contract extension of five to seven years.
That's a steep price, especially considering Santana could have become a free agent after this year's World Series and the Twins don't have the budget to re-sign him. Next offseason, he might have been available to the highest bidder - without having to give up any players in return.
Still, this deal was a no-brainer for the Mets, who are trying to win a championship right now.
Carlos Delgado, Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez have one year left on their contracts. Carlos Beltran is in his prime, David Wright and Jose Reyes will soon enter theirs. All-Star closer Billy Wagner is 36.
And New York has the financial resources to sign Santana, with its own regional sports network and a new ballpark on the way in 2009.
"We're going to welcome him with open arms," Wright said. "He's a competitor on the mound. He doesn't like to lose. He wants the ball, and that's what you want out of your ace."
Before Minaya took over, the Mets made a huge mistake in July 2004 by trading young lefty Scott Kazmir to Tampa Bay as part of a deal for pitcher Victor Zambrano. By 2006, Kazmir was an All-Star. Last year, he led the AL with 239 strikeouts.
This swap of prospects is much different for New York. Johan Santana is not Victor Zambrano.
The question is, did the Twins get the best possible deal for their star lefty?
