[EmpireWF]

Ask any Mets fan or Mets reporter what the team needs most going into 2008...they'll say pitching. Right now, it doesn't look like there will be any top flight aces on the free-agent market so the only way to get a great young starter will be through trade.

Johan Santana trade rumors have been flying for over a year now and will continue to fly this off-season.

Mets radio announcer and reporter Eddie Coleman described how the Mets should go about getting Santana in his blog. Coleman wrote:

The Mets have to get younger in their starting rotation. How? get Johan Santana, get Johan Santana, get Johan Santana.

If you noticed some repetition it's by design. If the Twins are going to deal Santana, the Mets have to convince them their best deal is in the off-season leading up to his walk year rather than accepting lesser value at the trading deadline during next season. And to do that, you have to overwhelm Minnesota, not just tease them. Pedro Martinez is back for the final year of his contract, and if what he showed at the end of this season is an indication of where he can and will be in 2008, that's a good start - and starter. If, and it's a big if, the Mets truly believe in 15 game winners John Maine and Oliver Perez, and also trust that Duaner Sanchez can return to his 2006 form (it's been a long layoff, folks), this is what I would do - send Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, Aaron Heilman and Lastings Milledge to Minny for Santana. Kevin Mulvey (Villanova) seems to be coming fast, and the Mets took a couple of Pac-10 closers in the June draft - Eddie Kunz (Oregon State) and Brant Rustich (UCLA) - who are on the fast track. You have to give to get, and Santana stabilizes any rotation that you plunk him into. He and Pedro are also great hedges against any kind of losing streak becoming a long one.


That would be a pretty steep price to get Santana (in that case, the Mets would need negotiating time to work out a long-term contract)...but I may do it. He's pretty right in that the Mets are still built to win now.

[ThePundit]

Assuimg the Mets could extend Santana, would you trade Jose Reyes for Santana straight up?

[EmpireWF]

1. Don't know if you meant it or not, but that is not a deal the Twins would accept. If they do put Santana on the table, they'll want a group of guys.

2. I don't know if I'd do it. Why cast the guy off because he had one poor (very poor...very very VERY poor) month? This team without Reyes is an entirely different one.

[legend]

Reyes for Santana? I'd do that in a minute and so would any GM. How does it sit with Mets' fans anyways that now Kaz Matsui is a playoff hero? About the same as Kenny Lofton killing the Yankees I bet.