The Mets won’t make a trade with the Twins simply to rent ace left-hander Johan Santana. For the Mets to trade for Santana, they would require a window to discuss a new contract, a person with knowledge of the club’s thinking said yesterday.
Santana has one year left on his deal at $13.25 million, so a negotiating window (typically 72 hours) would be needed for the Mets to try to come up with a new pact. If the Mets are to trade for Santana, though, they will not be including any of their three core offensive players in the deal: Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran would all be off limits. Beltran actually has a no-trade clause anyway, as does Santana.
The Twins offered Santana a four-year extension – beginning in 2009 – for a total of $80 million, which he rejected. It was an obvious rejection because Santana certainly will clear more than that on either the free-agent front or via another team that acquires him in a trade.
Santana, who will turn 29 in March, is perhaps the major league’s best pitcher, having won two Cy Youngs and adding a Gold Glove this past season. The lefty went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA and 235 strikeouts, and in his last five years, has gone an incredible 82-35.
The Mets also are showing interest in two free-agent pitchers, Octavio Dotel and Shawn Chacon.
“Both these guys have interest in them,” agent Dan Horwits said, “and they have interest in both these guys.”
Dotel went 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA this past season with the Royals and Braves. He pitched in 33 games, but he struck out an impressive 41 in 302/3 innings. Horwits insisted the righty is fully healthy.
Dotel also has closing experience, but Horwits said the 34-year-old doesn’t care about his role. If the Mets got Dotel, it would amplify their bullpen and provide further closing insurance for Billy Wagner, who was unavailable for a couple of games in September due to back spasms.
Chacon, who turns 30 next month, went 5-4 with a 3.94 ERA for the Pirates this past season and can both relieve and start (he started four games in 2007 and appeared as a reliever in his other 60). The righty started 20 games in 2006 and 24 in 2005, 12 during a good stint with the Yankees. It’s unclear if the Mets are interested in Chacon as a starter, reliever or both.