AP
Philip Humber was given Johan Santanaâs old spot in the Minnesota clubhouse for spring training.
âHe didnât leave any money in it. I already looked,â Humber said.
So it will go for him, fellow pitchers Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra, and outfielder Carlos Gomez, the four players acquired by the Twins nearly three weeks ago in the trade that sent Santana to the Mets. Their entire careers, no matter how long they last, will carry the distinction of their inclusion in the deal for baseballâs richest â and arguably best â pitcher. If they have success, the trade will become a footnote. If they fail to establish themselves in the majors, fans wonât forget.
Most analysis favored the Mets, because none of these four players are considered canât-miss All-Stars. Theyâve arrived at camp with good attitudes and good humor, though, eager to join an organization committed to development and promotion from within.
Theyâre not worried about the lack of excitement over the return the Twins received for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who recently signed a contract worth at least $137.5 million.
âWe were laughing about that earlier,â Humber said. âHow can you get equal value for Santana? I know the guys that came with me, and I know myself. We feel like they got some good stuff. I really do. I feel like weâre going to be able to go out and help the team soon.
“Thatâs up to the manager and the front office, but I feel like all of us have the tools to contribute to a winning team, and I think the fans in Minnesota are going to be surprised in some ways.â
Gomez will get the first chance to show what heâs got in the competition to replace Torii Hunter in center field. He split time between Triple-A and the majors last season, but with the veteran Mets his opportunity would have been limited.
Here, if his speed and glove are enough to keep the Twins patient while he works on his swing, Gomez could find himself leading off and playing every day.
Manager Ron Gardenhire was already impressed by the Dominicanâs handshake.
âHe almost made me bow down. Heâs a strong young man,â Gardenhire said.
On the first official day of workouts for pitchers and catchers, Minnesotaâs manager was struck by the size of the pitchers, too. Humber is listed at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, Guerra at 6-5 and 200.
âI have trust in our people. Weâve done pretty good in trades in the past, so thereâs no reason for me to doubt our organization went out and studied these guys pretty good,â Gardenhire said.
Guerra finished last season at the highest level of Single-A, and Mulvey pitched primarily in Double-A. Humber is further along, with September stints in the majors each of the last two years.
Heâs in the mix for several open spots in the rotation.
âIâm not going to try to be Johan,â he said. âIâm going to go out and try to be myself, and I think thatâs going to be good enough. I really do.â
It was quite the whirlwind offseason for these guys, as rumors about the trade swirled for months until it was finally consummated on Jan. 29. Even then, they had to wait all week while the Mets negotiated the megacontract with Santana before the deal could become official.
Humber, a native of Texas, was married in November just before the trade talk heated up. Mulvey, who grew up in New Jersey near the hometown of former Twins manager Tom Kelly, heard about it all winter from his family and friends.
âI kind of prepared for it to happen, and then it finally did happen, and Iâm pretty excited that it happened,â Mulvey said.
Guerra had the most interesting perspective, living in Venezuela where Santana is perhaps the most popular person in the country. They share the same agent, Peter Greenberg, who arranged a phone conversation between the two last year.
The deal made national news in both countries. Guerraâs family and friends were excited about his new claim to fame, but he also realized it came with a price.
âYeah, it is hard, because you got traded for somebody like Santana,â Guerra said. âItâs a lot of responsibility.â