Santana goes to the Met

Finalizing a trade, the Mets have agreed in principle on a contract extension with Starting Pitcher (SP) and Ace Johan Santana. This is perfect!! The Mets blow a whopping $21 million per year on a SP who is quite possibly the most dominant pitcher in the game today. He's a lefty who throws a wicked hard fastball with great accuracy and devastating change-up pitch that has become his hallmark. He will, barring injury, no doubt be the best/most dominant pitcher in Major League baseball for years to come.

However, spending anywhere north of $15 million per year for any SP is a tricky proposition in my view, and apparently the Red Sox view. The Sox get Santana to go to the National League where they won't have to face him, AND the MFY's don't have him. Moreover, the Sox don't have to trade away some young prospects that will not only allow them to hold some cost certainty, but also show what a hell of a job they've done through their scouting department to develop these players.

Also, us Sox fans get to see the promise of Jacoby Ellsbury, and the promise of cancer-survivor John Lester this year. Ellsbury who scored on a freaking passed ball all the way from second base at one point last year. The Lester who had a rough rookie year as a SP in the tough American League, who was found to have been living with a cancer in his body during the year when he underwent routine testing at the end of that campaign. The same Lester, who beat the cancer, fought like a dog to get his way back into the starting roatation by the end of the year and who was the SP in the Championship-clinching game.

Not to mention the minor leaguers the Sox would have had to give up to get Santana: Lowrie, Masterson, and the SP who pitched a no-hitter in only his 2nd start: Clay Buchholtz.

So, see ya Santana. I'm happy the Sox didn't give you $20 mill per for 5 years. We can use that money to find a replacement for Manny when he finally retires...Can you say, Ryan Howard?