MLB

YANKS MUST UP ANTE, AS METS, BOSOX, ANGELS, DODGERS GET IN GAME

The Yankees badly want Johan Santana. Here is a problem: So does just about every other big-market team in the majors.

Yet the complications hardly end there. The Yankees have learned in the past 24-48 hours that the initial asking price by the Twins is exorbitant, well beyond just the Phil Hughes/Melky Cabrera level that had been generally anticipated.

And if the Yankees and every other interested club do not know yet, Santana has a complete no-trade clause and will only waive that provision if he receives an extension for at least six or seven years at more than the $126 million that Barry Zito was bestowed last year.

The Mets are said by rival executives to badly want Santana, but they have taken Jose Reyes and David Wright off the table and there is serious doubt if they have the wherewithal to make a deal unless the Twins have a particularly high regard for Carlos Gomez and Mike Pelfrey. A young center fielder such as Gomez or Cabrera is a must in this trade as the Twins look to replace Torii Hunter, who recently signed with the Angels. The Red Sox (Jacoby Ellsbury/Coco Crisp), the Dodgers (Matt Kemp) and the Angels (Reggie Willets) are all expected to vie for Santana, and an NL executive said to watch out for the Cubs (Felix Pie) and perhaps the Mariners (Adam Jones).

The Twins fell well short in extension talks with Santana and because of that are now looking to deal him for a cache of young, inexpensive, high-ceiling players. Minnesota offered Santana either a four-year, $20 million-per extension on top of the $13.5 million he is due in 2008 or ripping up the final year of the contract for a five-year extension that would be worth more than Carlos Zambrano’s recently signed five-year, $91.5 million pact, but less than $100 million. When the Santana camp informed the Twins that was not even in the ballpark, it became evident to the organization that a trade must be made.

But as part of his current contract, Santana went from a partial to a full no-trade provision when he won the first of his two Cy Youngs in 2004. That means the lefty can dictate where he will go and while he is open-minded to playing in New York, he will not budge without an extension that makes him, by far, the richest pitcher in history. Any acquiring team would be very interested in re-signing Santana anyway because he can be a free agent after the 2008 season.

However, the idea of giving up 3-5 top young players plus paying Santana around $20 million annually for six or seven years is going to be a difficult hurdle for any club.

Several people with knowledge of the talks between the Twins and the Yankees said yesterday that the process is in the “infancy stages” and that discussions were nowhere close to the point where a team would request a 72-hour window to discuss an extension with Santana, who will be 29 in March. That would come after the Twins and a team agree on a trade and the deal is approved by MLB. Then the window is open for the team getting Santana to agree on a contract extension.

Santana is 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA. He was 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA this past season. While the Twins can be deliberate in their trade talks they probably won’t want to open spring training with Santana and all the distractions his situation would bring.

While several baseball scouts who are familiar with the Dodgers, Angels, Yankees, Mets and Red Sox systems believe the Dodgers have the most talent to offer, the rest of the field may get a break because the Dodgers’ No. 1 priority is using that talent to trade for right-handed slugger Miguel Cabrera. Of course, if they fail there they could go after Santana.

“After the Dodgers, the Angels have the most and then the Yankees and Red Sox although it’s not clear if they have what the Twins want and need,” an evaluator said.

Besides a center fielder, the Twins also are prioritizing a third baseman. The Angels have Brandon Wood to offer along with other elite prospects. The Dodgers have Andy LaRoche.

The Yankees, who have told teams Joba Chamberlain is untouchable, don’t have a third baseman to give the Twins, who aren’t likely to settle for Wilson Betemit. Nor do the Red Sox have a third baseman unless they include Kevin Youkilis in a deal and that’s unlikely. And if the Red Sox don’t want to move Ellsbury, they don’t seem to have enough even if they included pitchers Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester.

So how high will the Yankees go? Of all the teams interested, the Yankees and Mets need a No. 1 starter more than the others.

While Hank Steinbrenner insists the best way to build a staff is “by growing your own” studs, aces such as Santana are rarely on the trade market.

george.king@nypost.com