Red Sox/Yankees Trading Game

I keep asking myself to stop writing about Johan Santana. It's unlikely that he'll become a Mariner, but he still manages to take up about 15% of my offseason posts. It all comes down to the fact that there is absolutely nothing to write about in baseball between Christmas and New Years, but it's always fun and easy to speculate about the best pitcher in baseball.

I have no idea why the Minnesota Twins are even bothering trying to trade Johan Santana to the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.

Everyone knows Boston doesn't need him. They just swept the Colorado Rockies in the World Series last season without him. Boston already has a solid rotation filled with the likes of Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield, not to mention young studs Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz competing for the final spot, so why would they need to deplete their farm system in order to get Johan? Sure, the current Red Sox rotation with the addition of Johan Santana would assure playoff dominance, but the real reason they are persuing Santana is no secret. If Boston didn't get involved, Santana would already be trying on his new Yankee uniform, improving their team dramatically. Ideally Boston would just like to drive up the price so that the Yankees bow out, which almost worked, but I think they would indeed go as far as acquiring Santana just to ensure that the New York Yankees miss their man.

The Yankees do actually need Johan, but they are unwilling to give up the players Minnesota craves. The problem is this: as soon as the Yankees up their offer the Red Sox will do the same, and it appears that Boston can offer better packages. I can seriously see the Twins getting tired of the game and looking elsewhere.

The New York Mets and Seattle Mariners are the other two teams that come to mind still vying for Santana's services. If the Twins' front office truly did get sick of dealing with the Yankees and Red Sox I would think that the New York Mets would be the favorite. They've got some good young players they could send to Minnesota, and it would be a smart move for the Twins to move Johan Santana to the National League so that they wouldn't have to run into him in the playoffs for the next 5-7 years.

It would also be a good move for baseball. The National League already added Dan Haren this offseason, and adding Johan Santana would start restoring the balance of the two leagues. The more dominant pitchers there are in the National League, the more dominant hitters will be required. Currently most of the great pitchers are in the American League, meaning most of the great hitters (especially power hitters) are in the AL as well, but that's not what this post is about.

The point of this post is to bring up the possibility that the Minnesota Twins could give up on Boston and New York and move on to the other teams. If this happens it would be good news for the Mariners, because we've got some good players to offer and might be able to get a deal done with players like Jacoby Ellsbury and Phil Hughes unavailable. The Mariners are still in talks with Minnesota, so who knows what could happen. Jayson Stark mentions that a deal could take weeks, and as Spring Training approaches I could see rookie Minnesota GM panicing and moving Santana to the team who makes it easiest for him. That team could be the Mariners.

Who knows... [Jo-San]

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Lopez in Santana Package?

Could Jose Lopez be included in a potential Johan Santana offer? First, a recap/update on what's happening with Boston and New York in regards to Johan:

There's been so much said as far as Johan Santana trade rumors that it's hard to tell what's going on sometimes. As of right now, it appears that the Yankees are in the lead with their Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, plus one other pitcher offer. This is still somewhat mind boggling to me, but no other teams are seriously offering much more. The latest is that the Yankees still have Joba Chamberlain on their "untouchable" list, and have added Robinson Cano to it as well. Early speculation pointed to Cano being the key to the trade, but obviously the Yanks are reluctant to let him go (as they should be). On the Red Sox side of things, they are still having a hard time giving the Twins Jacoby Ellsbury or Clay Buchholz. If either one of them were put in the deal, especially Ellsbury, Boston would be the favorite to land Santana. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are still trying to convince Minnesota to take displaced Coco Crisp instead.

No updates for the Mariners, of course. The Twins recently added a new shortstop and corner outfielder in the Garza/Young blockbuster, so Wladimir Balentien is likely out of any proposal (if he ever even made his way into one). So what are the Twins' needs? Center field, obviously, and they're looking for some starting pitching now that Garza is gone and Bonser may be shipped to Tampa Bay in a separate deal (still unlikely. I'm assuming it was either Garza or Bonser). Any other needs? How about second base? Obviously the Twins had some sort of need if they were originally seeking Cano in the Yankee trade, although Cano would be an upgrade over most second basemen. Alexi Casilla may be the Minnesota second baseman of the future, and Nick Punto may have landed there by default for now, but both of them could be upgraded on. Punto hit just .210 in 472 at bats in 2007 while Casilla hit .222 in limited play, showing zero power with a .269 slugging percentage.

So how about sending Adam Jones, Jose Lopez and Brandon Morrow over to the Twins for two-time Cy Young award winner? Adam Jones is no Jacoby Ellsbury and Brandon Morrow may not even be at Phil Hughes' level yet, but this offer could trump Boston's and New York's because it addressing three separate needs for the Twins: pitching, center field and an upgrade (or simply competition) at second base.

Yes, it is way too early to give up on young Jose Lopez. If you've read any previous blogs you may have noticed that I'm certain Yung Chi Chen will give Lopez a ride for his money in Spring Training, but overall he has been very good. The guy went to the All-Star Game! Yet two consecutive second half slides can get you put on the trading block. Having a guy like Chen in your organization, as unproven as he is, gives you the ability to deal someone with much more value like Lopez. Lopez can hit for a decent average, shows some glimpses of power (whenever he gets a fastball on the inner half), is learning to use the whole field and is growing into a standout defender.

I want to stop here and note that I have no sources saying that Jose Lopez may be part of the package, it is purely speculation. It makes sense to me, though. I'd rather keep a former first round pick and a power hitting, left handed catcher in Jeff Clement then a second baseman that has shown he can be very solid, but has no speed and is slowly setting a trend for sputtering out. Even a package of Adam Jones, Jose Lopez, Brandon Morrow and Ryan Feierabend would work. Feierabend has had enough solid outings as a major leaguer to garner some interest, but in truth may never escape the back end of the rotation.

If the Seattle Mariners manage to defy the odds and make a deal work, don't be surprised if Jose Lopez is a selling point. Dayne Perry mentions that the Mariners may not have as much to offer, but their desperation could lead to a deal. Yung Chi Chen isn't ready to start for a contender? Sign Iguchi! I'm slowly getting the impression that Bavasi is feeling the pressure to make something happen, so don't be too surprised if we make a big splash in the coming weeks.

Pshh.. and I was thinking about not writing until something actually happened. It calls to me... JO-SAN JO-LOP

Aces Wild: Bavasi Can't Bust

There was a complete lack of news on the Mariners front from the Winter Meetings today. The Tigers landing Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from Florida was a little exciting, however.

No news is good news? Not at all. The Mariners need some major pitching help. They at least have a 4 and 5 spot to fill, but would love to be able to drop Washburn or Batista down a notch. Here are the aces the Mariners have been linked to and what's new:

Erik Bedard: Yesterday I wrote a blog about how we shouldn't expect a Bedard deal, as his price may be too high. However, the Mariners need an impact pitcher and it appears Bavasi would be willing to part with Adam Jones and Brandon Morrow, along with another prospect. The interesting part is that the Mariners are now considered front runners for Bedard's services, as Baltimore appears to be one of the few teams that are high on Jones and Morrow. It remains to be seen whether or not the Mariners would have to offer Wladimir Balentien as well. Giving up Wlad would make the next Mariner priority an outfielder with some pop, but the Orioles have been rumored to covet Balentien for awhile. I personally think one of Wlad and Jones needs to be retained.

Johan Santana: It's already been reported that the Mariners are out of the running for Santana, and it appears that everyone else besides Boston is as well. That said, this could be Seattle's time to strike. I know it's quite optimistic of me to even bother talking about Johan at this point, but this is how desperate the Mariners are. Bavasi said they weren't completely out of it and could jump back in later on, so I'm still allowed to bring it up. The current Boston offer appears to be Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, Justin Masterson and Ryan Kalish. Notice the absence of Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz. Sure, a 5-for-1 trade is always tough to pull off, but I'm still convinced that Bavasi could create some late competition for the Sox now that the offer doesn't contain so many young studs. If Bavasi was going to make a play he'd have to do it right away, as Boston and Minnesota are set to negotiate late into the night.

Ben Sheets: As expected, there really wasn't much behind the Ben Sheets rumors/speculation. He's not unavailable, but it would take quite a deal to move him. The Mariners may have been talking to the Brew Crew about Chris Capuano instead.

Without Dan Haren, those three may be the best pitchers being talked about. I'm disappointed in myself for trying to rule out Erik Bedard so early. I should have known better that Bavasi is desperate to make a move.

Bartolo Colon could almost be considered an ace. The Mariners and Colon haven't been linked in quite awhile now, but there is news that he is seeking a multi-year deal, making him less of a target. As far as Hiroki Kuroda goes, the Mariners may have the best offer out as of now. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers have similar offers, all 3 years/$27-33M, and it may take a fourth year to land him. Kuroda will visit a few American cities after the meetings before making his decision. Hopefully this horrible NW weather we've had lately won't scare him away.

Further reading: Geoff Baker, LA Daily News

View Bleeding Blue and Teal posts related to: Erik Bedard - Johan Santana - Ben Sheets ER-BED JO-SAN BEn-SHE

The Cost of Johan Santana

It has been reported that the Mariners are still in the Johan Santana trade sweepstakes. We all knew it would take a lot to get him, and now we know just how much. The package would start with Adam Jones, Jeff Clement and Brandon Morrow. Santana is in the final year of his current contract, but will be re-signed before his is traded. The Twins offered him 5 years/$93 million, about $18.6 per season and Santana quickly counter-offered with 5 years/$126 million, about $25.2 per season, although I have also seen 7 years/$140 million, about $20 million per season. You can thank Barry Zito and the Giants for that one.

Yes, Johan Santana is the best pitcher in baseball, but is it worth three major league ready former first round picks? You would have a killer one-two combo in Johan and Felix, Wladimir Balentien in right field, and a sudden need to re-sign catcher Kenji Johjima past 2008. There is also always the chance that Jones, Clement and Morrow never live up to their potential, but it's unlikely all of them will flop. Five years down the road will Mariner fans show the same frustration that we have when we saw Derrek Lowe pitching to Jason Varitek? Of course Johan Santana is no Heathcliff Slocumb, but is one win every five days worth three potential stars?

Adam Jones, Jeff Clement and Brandon Morrow are not too much to ask for Johan Santana. The Twins are in a great position to solidify their future, no matter who they trade Santana to. I personally wouldn't make this trade. I would lay low this offseason, sign Kuroda and consider Colon, and then count on the free agent market when it thickens up again in the next couple of seasons. If this trade does go down I won't be too disappointed, however, as Santana really is one of the few starters in this league that can help define a season and get a team to the playoffs.

Sources: Larry LaRue, Ken Rosenthal JO-SAN

Other Johan posts on Bleeding Blue and Teal, click here!

SP Rumors, RP Updates

One trade rumor back from the dead, one Johan Santana non-update, and two relievers no longer unemployed.

The Mariners may be interested in Yankee starter Kei Igawa. Igawa was a Japanese league standout but did absolutely nothing in his MLB debut, posting a 6.25 ERA in 14 games. Despite his struggles, Igawa has a relatively small contract and is cheap in an expensive market. It's been suggested that a pair of low level prospects could pry him away from New York. Look for the Mariners to explore this option if they strikeout with their other pitching targets, however it may not be a bad idea to bring him in to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation regardless. Sources: MLB Rumors Blog, Peter Abraham

Jason Stark is the latest to mention the Mariners as a possible dark horse team for Johan Santana's services, and also confirms that any deal would likely start with Adam Jones and Brandon Morrow. He says that the Twins have no need for Jeff Clement, but that may not be the common opinion. It is often speculated that Minnesota would love to move current catcher Joe Mauer to a corner infield spot at some point, and if that really is the plan they could use a young stud like Clement. Stark also brings up another good point that is often ignored: Even if the Mariners could get the right deal in place, would Santana veto a trade to come to Seattle? If you could chose what team you wanted to be on, the defending World Series champs or the Mariners, who would you chose?

The top two free agent relievers from my Free Agency: Veteran Relief blog may already be unavailable. It's been reported that Troy Percival is to become a Tampa Bay Ray and David Riske a Brewer. These seem like done deals, but the Mets/Yorvit Torrealba non-signing should make us cautious. Perhaps he should have, but I don't think Bavasi actually targeted either of these two. Sources: Ken Rosenthal, Buster Olney JO-SAN KE-IGA

Hot Stove: Cantu, Santana

Apparently the Mariners are looking for a utility infielder this offseason for flexibility and to challenge Jose Lopez at second. Bavasi has already explored Mark Loretta as an option, although he'll likely stay in the National League. Another option could be newly released Jorge Cantu. Cantu came up with the Devil Rays in 2004 and was great, hitting .286 and driving in 117 in 2005, his first full season. He struggled in Tampa Bay after that but came back to life as a Cincinnati Red, batting .298 in his short stint with the team. Cantu can play all four infield positions, and could challenge for the second base job. I welcome any cheap competition, especially if they're former 100 RBI guys.

Ken Rosenthal confirms my suspicion, the Mariners may be back in the fray for Johan Santana. I thought this would be the time to strike, and this would be the perfect way Bavasi could move towards contention.

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Another Johan Possibility

Despite the rumor that Johan Santana may not even want to play for Seattle, it's still fun to speculate. I promised myself I wouldn't write about Santana again until news of an actual Mariner offer to the Twins, but I couldn't help myself!

Phil Hughes has been added into the Yankees offer for sure, meaning the Mariners would have to find a way to outdo their offer. How do you do that? Address more of the Twins' needs.

Twins Needs:

1. Major league ready center fielder
2. Starting pitching
3. 2nd base depth
4. Drop a corner outfielder
5. Major league ready 3rd baseman

Adam Jones is unproven but qualifies for number one, same goes for Brandon Morrow and number two. Jose Lopez has the potential to be a top-tier second baseman one day, and the Twins may like him to compete for a job at second, as it appears Alexi Casilla's bat isn't quite ready. Those three have already been covered.

Geoff Baker mentioned the Twins need to clear some space in their outfield that already has Delmon Young, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel locked into the two corner outfield spots and DH. If the Mariners dealt Jones, then they would just so happen to need a corner outfielder, and Craig Monroe could fit in nicely with the Mariners' lineup. Monroe was acquired by the Twins from the Cubs just weeks ago in a move to bolster their lineup, but the more recent acquisition of Delmon Young makes him available. Monroe struggled with the Tigers and Cubs in 2007, but has proved he can be a 25 HR 90 RBI guy. His batting average has been declining since 2004, but he would be a welcome addition, especially as a "throw in" in a potential Santana deal.

That brings us to number five. Who is going to play third base for Minnesota? Theoretically they could put former utility man Cuddyer at third, but they like his strong arm (19 assists) from the outfield and he hasn't logged an inning at third since 2005. The Twins depth chart shows Brian Buscher and Nick Punto at third, but Buscher has just 82 major league at bats (.244) and Nick Punto hit just .210 in 2007. What if the Mariners threw Mike Morse into the equation? Morse has proved he can hit major league pitching, hitting .302 in 291 at bats over 3 seasons, and if versatile in the field. The Mariners starting shortstop for about 1/3 of the 2005 season, Morse could easily be a major league third baseman. Seattle would love to keep Morse but he does not appear to be in the Mariners' immediate plans as a starter.

I would think that a trade addressing five Minnesota needs with four young major league ready players would trump the deals the other teams are offering. Let me remind you that this is all speculation, and there has been no confirmation that Mike Morse or Jose Lopez may be part of a potential deal. However, Bavasi has mentioned that Jose Lopez is on the hot seat, and may be available.

Alright, that's it for November! I'm sure the upcoming Winter Meetings will stir up all kinds of rumors to write about. JO-SAN

Mariners Might Be Able to Wait for Santana

There have been reports today that the New York Yankees and our Seattle Mariners are not in the bidding for Johan Santana. I still believe that no one really knows what's going on, because both teams would be foolish to rule themselves out completely, but if true that leaves the Red Sox and Mets as the lone bidders for Santana's services.

As I said in a previous post, the Red Sox don't really want Santana, and I'm not the only one with that take on things. So that really leaves the New York Mets as the only ones trying to get Johan Santana, the best pitcher in baseball. I find that hard to believe, but let's go with it.

If there was really only one team trying to obtain Johan, I don't think Minnesota GM Bill Smith would bother trading him. True, Santana will not drop his no-trade clause once the season starts, but Smith has to hope that the Twins' billionaire owner will pony up more than $80M to re-sign him. It's doubtful, but may be better than taking next to nothing for the most valuable pitcher in baseball. If Santana is not re-signed the Twins will get a couple of top draft picks, which could be as valuable as any offer a lone bidder would put up.

If that happens, Seattle would be able to bid for Santana next offseason with Richie Sexson's contract off the books, and without giving up any of our promising youth. Unfortunately every team in baseball would be in the same position next offseason, but who knows what can happen.

For a good read on why Santana hasn't been traded, and why he should be traded, check out this Sporting News article. [Jo-San]

M's Still in on Bedard, Santana

No Mariner transactions were made during my brief week-long hiatus, but a few rumors still managed to surface before Christmas.

The Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune have both reported that Seattle is still in on the Johan Santana talks. I haven't written much more than a blurb about Santana in three weeks (except for this MVN post), but figured the Mariners would still be trying to get him as long as the door was still open. The Globe wonders if Seattle could offer enough money, and the Carlos Silva signing certainly complicates that, but the Mariners have a ton of cash coming off the books in the next 2 seasons and I think they could make the deal.

More good news for Seattle is that Minnesota appears to be lowering the price slightly, as the New York Times reports that the Twins may be considering a Yankee offer of Phil Hughes, Melkey Cabrera and Jeff Marquez. This probably means Seattle could get a deal done based around Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow plus one or two quality youths such as Jeff Clement, Wladimir Balentien, Mike Morse, Jose Lopez, Ryan Feierabend, Yung Chi Chen or any other player in the minor leagues. At this point I believe that there is no price too high for Johan Santana. He will not be traded unless he can sign a 5-7 year contract extension, and Seattle could put together a championship caliber team in that time frame, even after selling the farm.

It has been widely reported that Johan Santana and Carlos Silva were best friends in Minnesota. While I wouldn't use this as the main argument for why Santana will end up in Seattle, the Silva signing would certainly look a lot better if he could convince his buddy to migrate West.

As far as Erik Bedard goes, the Chicago Tribune went on to mention that Seattle's current offer includes Adam Jones, Jeff Clement and Yung Chi Chen. It's hard to know what to believe, but this makes sense. Adam Jones is the centerpiece, obviously, while Clement and Chen would fill holes on the current Baltimore roster. Jeff Clement would take over at DH as incumbent Jay Gibbons has been awful, not to mention the appearance of his name in the Mitchell Report. Chen would become the team's new second baseman pending a Brian Roberts trade.

I was pleased that Wladimir Balentien and George Sherrill were not mentioned, but I would be very disappointed if we had to part with Jeff Clement for anything less than Johan Santana. I would much rather send Brandon Morrow to Baltimore as Clement could be a very important part of Seattle's current and future offense, not to mention our finances. I detail the benefits Seattle would gain by platooning Clement and Jose Vidro in this post I did for Caffeinated Confines.

Erik Bedard's contract expires after the 2009 season, but Brandon Morrow is still expendable for three reasons:

1. By the 2010 season Seattle should have a whole new crop of minor league starting pitchers ready to contribute in the major leagues. Top pitching prospects such as Phillipe Aumont, Chris Tillman, Ryan Rohrbaugh, Tony Butler, and Juan Ramirez could in Seattle by then.
2. There will be some high quality arms available via free agency in the next couple of offseasons, possibly including aces like Johan Santana (if not traded), Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia (if not extended), not to mention tons of other good 2-3 slot guys that will be free agents.
3. Erik Bedard can be dealt next offseason or at the '09 trade deadline to help restock our minor league system if Seattle isn't winning.

I think Seattle is a serious contender for Bedard, and he would be a nice addition whoever we send over. I am also very encouraged that Seattle is still in contention for Johan. [jo-san er-bed br-mor je-cle]

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Johan Santana, part 2

If you've read any of my blogs, namely No Trade Needed, The Cost of Johan Santana and Home Grown Team you may assume I am completely against trading for Johan Santana. The reality is that I'm completely undecided. Half of me wants to build a team from the ground up, half of me wants to contend with the Angels in 2008.

Here are some new developments:

Earlier this evening SI's Jon Heyman was the latest to link Seattle to Johan Santana, along with the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels and Mets. I'm going to go ahead and rule out both LA teams, as they surely do not have the resources to obtain Miguel Cabrera/Tejada and Santana. The Mets may not have enough to offer.

Although the article completely lacked any Mariner details, he did go into proposed Yankees and Red Sox deals. The Yankees are trying to center a package around outfielder Melky Cabrera, starting pitcher Phil Hughes plus one other player. Did I read that right? I assumed, based on the rumors that it would take the Mariners Adam Jones, Jeff Clement and Brandon Morrow to get Santana, that a Yankee deal would start with Robinson Cano and include both Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees are rumored to have deemed Chamberlain untouchable, but do you really believe anything the Yankees say? If not Chamberlain it's going to be Ian Kennedy. If the season started today Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain would all be part of the Yankee rotation, according to Yankee skipper Joe Girardi.

According to Heyman, the Twins were seeking either of starters Clay Buchholz or Jon Lester to go along with center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox. The Sox are hoping they can keep Ellsbury and pawn Coco Crisp off on the Twins instead. Boston may be able to make this work with Buchholz and Crisp, or Lester and Ellsbury, they just have to decide who's more important.

What strikes me as odd to both these deals is that Minnesota is asking for pitching. I was under the impression that the Twins were well stocked in the starting pitchers department, so there may be something to the Boof Bonser to Tampa Bay or the Matt Garza to Tampa Bay for Delmon Young rumors, originally thought to be complete speculation.

I can see a Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz +1 trade working out, but there's no way a Melky Cabrera, one Hughes or Kennedy +1 should ever work. Just the rumor has outraged Twins' fans and has had Yanks' fans salivating. Such a trade would be an absolute steal for Steinbrenner and company. If that trade works, then there may be hope for the Mariners. Maybe there's a chance we wouldn't have to give up 3/4 of our top major league ready prospects. 1/2 sounds a little better. Sure, a deal including Wladimir Balentien, Ryan Feierabend and Jeremy Reed may be a stretch, but there is hope. I believe that if Wlad had the ability to play center field we could ship him off instead of Jones, and unfortunately Jeremy Reed probably isn't good enough with the stick to perk Minnesota's interest.

The original deal brought up by Larry LaRue was Adam Jones, Jeff Clement and Brandon Morrow. What if you could make the deal happen with only two of them? How about holding Clement back? Some may say that Clement is the least valuable of the bunch, but I beg to differ. If you look back at my Jones/Clement Value blog, you will see that it is much harder to find a player of Clement's caliber than Jones'. I would be all for this trade if you could get the Twins nodding their head about Jones, Morrow and Feierabend, or something close to it. Feierabend could be traded out with any of Rob Johnson, Jeremy Reed, Sean White or Jon Huber. (I've given up on the hyperlinks to player pages, here is the Seattle 40-man roster.)

The only problem with trading for Johan is the Mariner outfield. If you trade Adam Jones, who plays right field? Wladimir Balentien might be ready, might not, we really won't know until Spring Training. Jose Guillen appears to have both feet out the door and may be nearing contracts with Kansas City or Baltimore. Jeremy Reed had his shot and blew it, twice. You could trade Richie Sexson for Jay Payton, but then where's your offense? It would make things interesting, but if you can get Johan Santana for just two of your top prospects it's probably worth it. The bottom line is you don't know what you'll get from Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow or any other prospect. You do know what you'll get from Johan Santana: 5-7 Cy Young caliber seasons, depending on how long he re-signs for. Johan's average season over the past few years is about the same as Barry Zito's best year. Think about that, then think about whether the contract is worth it.

Now, before anyone gets too excited about the possibility of this happening, there is this possibility: The only reason the Twins are considering such a poor offer from the Yankees is because Johan Santana will only drop his no-trade clause for New York. If Santana is deadset on pinstripes then it would all make a lot of sense, but there has been nothing on whether that is actually the case.

Sorry for the flip-flop in opinions! If it takes Adam Jones, Jeff Clement and Brandon Morrow I'm more than a little skeptical, but if you can make this deal happen for less than that I am all for it.

Additional sources:
MLB.com: Yankees, Twins discuss Santana
Geoff Baker: Countdown to Nashville JO-SAN