Posted By:
BobJimi and Bryan- Don't despair! We gave up Santana for a bundle of prospects. Two youngsters, Carlos Gomez moved in to the starting lineup in centerfield and we got Alexi Casilla as a throw in from the Angels and they are the most feared 1-2 hitters in baseball and defensive gems. Meanwhile Santana is 7-7 albeit with a great ERA but his fastball has dropped 4 mph and most importantly, it opened up a couple of slots in the starting rotation for two young pitchers, Nick Blackburne and Glen Perkins who have been very, very good. (Carlos Silva left via free agency and we got nothing in return, that was the other slot). The Twins are now one of the youngest teams in baseball, competing for both the AL Central title and the wildcard and they are the most exciting team in baseball even though the media heads haven't figured it out yet. Limited power but speed, speed and more speed with Gomez, Casilla and rookie Denard Span. The minor league teams were stocked with 3 pitchers who came in the Santana trade (along with Gomez). This is what you have to do when you don't spend stupid money for free agents- you draft wisely, develop your prospects and trade older players while they still have value. The Twins learned a costly lesson with Tori Hunter and weren't going to do it again with Santana.