Twins agree to deal Santana to Mets for prospects

Twins agree to deal Santana to Mets for prospects

By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY
The New York Mets have agreed to a trade for two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, giving up four prospects to acquire the left-handed ace of the Minnesota Twins, according to two high-ranking Twins officials with knowledge of the talks and a person close to Santana.

The deal is pending the Mets and Santana reaching agreement on a six- or seven-year contract extension and that Santana passes a physical; they have been granted a 48 to-72-hour window to do so. Santana has a no-trade clause that he will waive if agreement is reached on a contract extension.

The Mets paid a high price in prospects to land Santana, agreeing to send the Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey.

The deal would give the Mets the much-needed ace at the front of their rotation. Santana won the American League Cy Young Award in 2004 and 2006 and is 93-44 lifetime. He went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA for the Twins last season. Santana has struck out at least 235 batters each of the past four seasons.

While the deal drains much of the talent out of the Mets' farm system, they did manage to hold on to top prospect Fernando Martinez, an outfielder. Instead, they headed the package with Gomez, who turned 22 in December and spent 58 games with the Mets last year.

Go mets..glad to get Santanna out of the central!!!!!!!!!!

Well this is good news. Did we ever play a series against the Twins where we didn't face Santana? I don't remember one.

Glad to see Santana go

Source: Santana's total deal exceeds $150M

The deal is done.

Johan Santana reached preliminary agreement with the Mets Friday night on a record contract, according to a major-league source, all but completing the trade that will send the two-time Cy Young Award winner from Minnesota to New York in exchange for four young players.

The Mets locked up Santana for the next seven years, signing him to a six-year, $137.5 million extension on top of the final year of his current deal, which is valued at $13.25 million. The total value of the package is $150.75 million, making his new average salary more than $21.5 million — a record for a pitcher on a long-term contract.

Santana, who turns 29 on March 13, needs only to pass a physical to make the trade official. But the most difficult elements of the transaction — the trade and contract negotiations — finally are complete. Santana is scheduled to take his physical Saturday morning, Twins GM Bill Smith said, according to The Associated Press.

The Mets needed Major League Baseball to grant a two-hour extension of the 72-hour negotiating window to persuade Santana to waive his no-trade clause, forsake free agency at the end of the season and approve the deal.

Santana was present for the final stages of the talks, according to two sources close to the negotiations. He was adamant that he deserved a vastly superior deal to Giants lefty Barry Zito, who signed a seven-year, $126 million contract as a free agent last off-season.

In return for Santana, who was eligible for free agency at the end of the season, the Twins will receive outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.

Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano held the previous salary record for a pitcher under a multi-year deal — $18.3 million per season over five years. Zito is earning $18 million per season in his deal with the Giants.

Santana's new average trumps both of those numbers, leaving Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia — who is eligible for free agency at the end of the season — as the next in line for a monster score.

Yes! Deal is done! Go Mets!

Closer look at Santana’s new deal
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008

The Star Tribune has learned the terms of Johan Santana’s new deal with the New York Mets. As reported, it is a six-year, $137.5 million commitment, but La Velle just received the full details.

• The Mets ripped up Santana’s original contract. So it no longer matters that the Twins owed Santana $13.25 million for 2008.
  
  
• Santana got a six-year deal with an option for 2014. The terms:
  
  
  • 2008: $19 million
    
    
  • 2009: $20 million
    
    
  • 2010: $21 million
    
    
  • 2011: $22.5 million
    
    
  • 2012: $24 million
    
    
  • 2013: $25.5 million
    
    
  • 2014 (option): $25 million, with a $5.5 million buyout.
    

Note: It’s a vesting option that can be triggered with innings pitched or a high finish in the Cy Young voting. Santana also received a full no-trade clause. The average annual value of Santana’s six-year deal is actually $22 million. Only Alex Rodriguez (at $27.5 million) will make more.