Oye Como Va?

I’m pretty good, and so are the Sox and their pitching staff. So, are the Sox in the Santana Sweep stakes? Don’t bet on it. A trade for two-time Cy Young winner and Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana would mean giving up some offensive firepower, one or two starting pitchers, prospects or a combination of the three.

To this point from what I’ve heard and read the Sox front office is unwilling to part with what they have going, aside from jettisoning Coco Crisp. Coming off a World Series victory and winning the Series two times in four years doesn’t usually constitute making a splash (like they did after the 2006 collapse) in the free agent market, let alone making a landmark trade. It would be for Santana sure, but how much better do you need to make the starting rotation? It’s hard not to think about how historic a Santana, Josh Beckett, Dice-K and Curt Schilling rotation would be, however unlikely.

Too many other teams out there have more to offer the Twins in regards to what their ball clubs needs are. The Yankees are getting the ball rolling and as of last night. The candid Hank Steinbrenner of the Yankees was willing to give up the dirt on preliminary proceedings taking place, a far cry from the days when his Dad was running the show. The Bombers would more than likely be willing to give up a Robinson Cano or a Melky Cabrera than the Sox would be willing to part ways with Dustin Pedroia or Jacoby Ellsbury.

I might make this trade for my Xbox 360 Red Sox to pick up Santana, but outside of that I wouldn’t hold my breath on the Sox even being mentioned as a serious contender for him. The Sox have their rotation set and bullpen stocked and probably won’t be looking beyond their existing major players. If the Sox pick up any more pitching this off-season it will be only to bolster the pen.

Another reason would be the amount of money that Santana will demand on his trade. He’s got a couple of aces up his sleeve with his no-trade clause and only one year remaining on his existing deal with the Twins. If he were in the middle of a multi-year deal, more leverage would be placed on the side of the team or teams courting him. The Sox have a crazy payroll, but I’m not sure if they’d be willing to step into Yankee territory in order to secure him. The Sox still have a perception and image to maintain in a world that only includes the Red Sox and Yankees to many of their fans, and they love having a better team with spending less to get there.