Article: Report: Twins Pushing to Sign RHP Ervin Santana

[Seth Stohs]

UPDATE: Terry Ryan says that nothing is done yet with Ervin Santana. Says the Twins are interested in right-handed pitching, including Santana and they have talked to him. Ken Rosenthal said that the Twins have now made an offer.

 

Details are coming in quickly from the Winter Meetings in San Diego, but it appears that the Minnesota Twins may be about to make a big splash in the free agent market after all. There have been several tweets that have said that the Twins are making a very strong push right now to sign Ervin Santana.Joel Sherman first tweeted that Ervin Santana was hearing to the Twins. Later Sherman took a step back, tweeting "Going to rephrase on Ervin Santana: Hearing #Twins pushing to get deal with Santana."

 

The Twins went after Santana really hard a year ago before he decided to sign a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves. In 196 innings, he went 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP and 8.2 K/9.

 

In 2013, Santana played with the Royals. He went 9-10 but posted a 3.24 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He struck out 6.9 per nine innings over 211 innings.

 

The veteran right-hander will turn 32 on Friday.

 

More information will be shared when available. Keep checking back.

 

Click here to view the article

[Brandon]

Wow! We actually gave up a draft pick to sign someone.  We are really moving up on this free agency thing.

[Linus]

Well, this interesting anyway.  Not sure I would have done this but it will be exciting for the fan base.  I've been advocating for the younger Brett Anderson, which would have allowed us to still go after a good defensive centerfielder.

 

My guess is this transaction ends the Twins off season.

[darin617]

If they actually sign Santana now is when you go forward and sign at least 1 more top tier player. Why not give up the 3rd round pick and add another player.

[maxisagod]

Joel Sherman redacts statement. Says Twins pushing. 

[maxisagod]

If they actually sign Santana now is when you go forward and sign at least 1 more top tier player. Why not give up the 3rd round pick and add another player.

Because the Twins have two 2nd round pics this year. it's almost like a gimme. 

[tobi0040]

Weird that a New York guy broke it.....we may not be any closer than top four like La Velle reported.  Twitter initially had 4-60, then "number not confirmed", then it switched from signed to "pushing to sign"

[Seth Stohs]

Let's remember one thing... the Rule 5 draft is tomorrow... they may want to make the move official AFTER the Rule 5 draft. Just so they don't have to make a move until after that. 

 

At this point, I can't even handicap what the odds are.

[Brandon]

Well if this goes through then we would match up well against 2 of the move the Whitesox made so far.

 

Torii vs LaRoche (this is a fairly close matchup with the bat)

Santana vs Samardzija  (Samardzija gets the edge but Santana can hold his own)

 

Too bad we didn't get Neshek to counter Robertson. 

 

I don't consider Duke too significant as he is pretty similar to Deunsing in results.

[cmb0252]

To me this feels like Nolasco 2.0. Just can't get excited about the possibility of signing a 32 year old for 4-5 years unless he is an ace.

[tobi0040]

Jim Bowden

Alan Nero -one of Ervin Santana's agents along with Jay Alou denies they are close to deal w/Santana but Nero acknowledges offer from Twins

[Winston Smith]

Making an offer and making one that is competitive are often not close to the same thing in Terry's world.

[Shane Wahl]

Some comments:

 

1. Please let it be true. This would be a key signing, in my view.

2. Seth's point is likely spot on about the Rule 5.

3. The Twins don't actually make many offers, Winston. When they do, they seem to go big enough (except in the past with their own guys!)

4. No actual "ace" is signing for 4 years. This is the second tier and I would be really happy.

5. I think that Ryan and Molitor might like the idea of Meyer in the pen and May starting in AAA, or both in the pen.

6. Kyle Gibson suddenly becomes potential trade bait in the season, esp. if Nolasco doesn't suck.

[nater79a]

If they actually sign Santana now is when you go forward and sign at least 1 more top tier player. Why not give up the 3rd round pick and add another player.

 

Actually, after Santana, there are only three players left on the free agent market that require giving up a draft pick: Scherzer, Shields and Melky Cabrera. Doubt the Twins are "in" on any of them.

[Rosterman]

I'm glad someone else sees Gibson as potential tradebait, especially if Nolasco comes thru. I'm not sure how Gibson will do as he continues with the Twins. Anyone else have thoughts on him?

[The Wise One]

Any player should be tradebait if the price is right.

[KGB]

To me this feels like Nolasco 2.0. Just can't get excited about the possibility of signing a 32 year old for 4-5 years unless he is an ace.

 

And I bet he'll be just as tradable next year as Nolasco is now.  This doesn't make any sense, but it's sounds like a Ryan plan.

[twinscowboysbulls]

Just wait a minute.

 

What if Nolasco figures things out and Santana is in business next year?

 

We would have a pretty damn good staff. Hopefully we could trade off one of them if needed to make room for a young guy in the rotation. I don't love Santana or Nolasco, but i'm happy we are trying...

[Linus]

Any contract signed in this type of free agent situation is likely going to mean that you will be unable to trade the player.  There are no "bargains" when you have to outbid a whole bunch of other teams.  If the player's performance declines at all from the level that earned him the contract, he is basically can't be traded.

[tobi0040]

I look out 3-4 years and don't really see a payroll issue, where the Twins have to let anyone leave. Ervin would push the Twins to a payroll of $105M or so.

 

Next offseason we lose Hunter and Pelfrey.  We probably trade Plouffe as well.  That a total of $20M.  That is more than enough to extend Dozier and Hughes on top of their current salaries and the Twins could probably go up to $115-$120M on payroll anyway.

 

Ervin would be our second best pitcher on a team that desperately needs better pitching. I am all for it

Edited December 11, 2014 by tobi0040

[Gene Larkin Fan Club]

This is an upgrade.  Period.  Why do some people have a problem with that?  Question Mark?

[MWLfanV2]

I don't know how you sell your outfield defense to a Free Agent Pitcher with options from other teams. Besides over paying by quite a bit. Having Arcia, Santana and Hunter out there would not inspire me to sign on the dotted line with out some Yankee/Dodger type cash and years. But maybe TR is ready to spend some Pohlad cash on a pittcher on the North side of 30.. (Reevaluting that last sentence as it felt very strange typing those words in one connected string.)

[tobi0040]

Just wait a minute.

 

What if Nolasco figures things out and Santana is in business next year?

 

We would have a pretty damn good staff. Hopefully we could trade off one of them if needed to make room for a young guy in the rotation. I don't love Santana or Nolasco, but i'm happy we are trying...

 

We only process worst case scenarios  here. 

 

Could you imagine if his arm fell off as he signed the last A in Santana on the contract?

[Seth Stohs]

Any contract signed in this type of free agent situation is likely going to mean that you will be unable to trade the player.  There are no "bargains" when you have to outbid a whole bunch of other teams.  If the player's performance declines at all from the level that earned him the contract, he is basically can't be traded.

 

Correct... by definition, signing a free agent means that you went above what other teams were willing to do.

 

Lumping some other comments from above, it's funny that the idea of signing a picture to a 4 year, $50ish million contract now is a bad thing in some people's minds. When the Twins signed Nolasco to the 4 year, $49 million deal a year ago, it was a great thing, a sign of the Twins changing their ways. He earned the contract he got... then he had a bad, injury-plagued 2014 season. Let's all just hope he rebounds. But Santana has generally put up just as good, if not better, numbers than Nolasco did, and he did them in the American League most of his career. He's worth the contract he will get too.

 

But it also speaks to what free agency is. There are no sure things in expensive contracts. Also notice that everyone loved Joe Mauer until he got paid too. Right now, everyone loves Brian Dozier, but when he gets paid, a certain population of fandom will turn on him too.

[Seth Stohs]

I don't know how you sell your outfield defense to a Free Agent Pitcher with options from other teams. Besides over paying by quite a bit. Having Arcia, Santana and Hunter out there would not inspire me to sign on the dotted line with out some Yankee/Dodger type cash and years. But maybe TR is ready to spend some Pohlad cash on a pittcher on the North side of 30.. (Reevaluting that last sentence as it felt very strange typing those words in one connected string.)

 

I think you answered your own question... by paying them quite a bit!

 

It appears that the Twins are going against teams including the Yankees and Giants for Santana. They're going to have to pay.

 

And again, regarding your last sentence and it's follow-up... Ryan spent almost $50 million on Nolasco last year. 

[tobi0040]

I think you answered your own question... by paying them quite a bit!

 

It appears that the Twins are going against teams including the Yankees and Giants for Santana. They're going to have to pay.

 

Our offer was 4-50 I heard.  I think he gets more and certainly can use the McCarthy contract as a data point (4-48).  He came into the league 10 years ago and has less than 1,000 IP.  4.50 and 4.05 the last two years.

Edited December 11, 2014 by tobi0040

[Dr. Evil]

Santana would be a great signing and just what we need IMHO. As I have said all along, a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation can take the pressure off of a lot of other areas of the squad. In addition to that, it slides other starters down a slot in the rotation to where they are a better fit. Examples......Gibson is a 3rd and Nolasco is a 4th. Meyer or May starts off as a 5th and the other joins the pen for the time being(like when Johan Santana started out in the pen).

[KGB]

This is an upgrade.  Period.  Why do some people have a problem with that?  Question Mark?

 

It's an upgrade on what they had last year, but is it an upgrade for the future.  The Twins are not going to win any division next year and if you committ 4 years to Santana and go forward with Nolasco and Santana as in your staff for the next 3-4 years is that an upgrade or is it an investment in pitchers with declining value? 

 

Last year Gibson outperformed 2 out of the 3 free agents signed.  I think Mays and Meyer's will outperform many of these free agent over the next few years.  Why not invest a season in the young players in a year you are not going to contend?  You should supplement the roster in a year when you have a chance to contend.  If you do it now, we'll hear about salaries restraint in the future due to bad contract.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I am definitely in the camp that says the Twins have room for more starting pitchers.

 

However, I'd probably resist adding Santana for a Nolasco-type contract now.  He would improve us right away, but I can't shake the feeling that some of our best prospects are going to turn out to be average-ish starters (like Gibson arguably already has), and I'd rather gamble some money or a roster spot on some more upside (Anderson, Masterson, etc.).

 

To quote Seth, though, it wouldn't be the end of the world.  Actually my biggest issue with a Santana signing now, around the rumored 4/50 price, would be, why didn't we do it last winter?  Getting some guys was necessary for our league-worst staff, so I sorta understand the quick action on Nolasco and Hughes (less so for Pelfrey).  But I suspect we over-rated what we had in Nolasco and didn't make our best offers for Garza and Santana later.

[Brandon]

I'm ok with trading veteran pitchers we sign today for prospects down the line when our young pitchers are ready to establish themselves if that's how we can handle the log jam of pitchers.  I also think having Santana on our staff now makes us a .500 team as is.  if Nolasco rebounds and a solid 5th starter emerges then we could compete for a Wild Card / Division Title.