NASHVILLE – Hank Steinbrenner’s self-imposed deadline of midnight last evening passed without the Yankees acquiring Johan Santana from the Twins. What that meant in the overall picture wasn’t clear, since the Yankees remained the favorite to land the lefty – that is, if the Twins trade him.
With the teams unable to agree on the third player joining Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera going to Minnesota, the Twins could be the team walking away from the deal.
The Yankees let the Twins know last week they wouldn’t part with pitchers Ian Kennedy and Alan Horne or outfielder Austin Jackson. Still, the Twins want one of those names in the trade.
Multiple representatives of major league teams at the Winter Meetings believed that if the Twins deal Santana it would be to the Yankees and not the Red Sox – though early this morning there was talk the Angels might get involved.
Yet, when midnight struck there was no deal, since the Twins yawned at Steinbrenner’s deadline ultimatum from the time it was uttered.
It’s certainly conceivable the deadline could be extended, but Steinbrenner didn’t sound that way earlier in the day. Even if many people believed the deadline was as soft as Carl (American Idle) Pavano’s body, mind and soul, the face of the Yankees insisted it was strong.
“They need to get something done by tonight,” Steinbrenner said late yesterday afternoon by phone. “I will be happy either way. It’s a difficult decision. I will be happy if we don’t have to give up Hughes or Cabrera, and I won’t be upset if we get Santana.”
Despite the teams being unable to agree on the third player, a representative for the company that manufactures Yankee uniforms went as far as asking the team what number Santana preferred. The rep was told Santana would likely keep the No. 57 he wore with the Twins.
The Yankee firmly believed the Twins would deal the two-time Cy Young winner to them or hang on to him – that the Twins weren’t enamored with the Red Sox package.
As for Steinbrenner’s deadline, a big-league official believed The New Boss wasn’t kidding.
“I think it’s real unless they are very close to a deal and it comes down to [contract] language,” the official said.
As for the Twins being upset that Steinbrenner openly talked about Santana on Sunday, they didn’t file a tampering charge yesterday with Major League Baseball. An MLB voice said that, without the Twins filing a claim, the Yankees couldn’t be charged with tampering. And why would the Twins file a tampering charge against the team with the best chance of giving them what they want for Santana?
Steinbrenner took the talk of tampering in stride.
“Nothing changes – we are always the target,” Steinbrenner said. “We pay all these teams luxury tax and we are always the target.”
While Steinbrenner remained out front on Santana, GM Brian Cashman was mum.
“I am not going to comment on the topic of the day,” Cashman said.
Speaking around the possibility of including Cabrera in a deal, Cashman said he hasn’t jumped into the free-agent pool that includes Aaron Rowand, Andruw Jones and Mike Cameron for a center-field replacement.
Of the three, Cameron makes the most sense, since Rowand and Jones are looking for deals in the four- to five-year range.
“I am not in touch with the center-field market,” said Cashman, who insisted Johnny Damon, who lost the job to Cabrera last year, could return to the middle of the outfield.
Peter Greenberg, Santana’s agent, said the Yankees or Red Sox hadn’t approached him as of late yesterday for permission to open a 72-hour negotiating window.
In order to delete his no-trade clause, Santana is expected to want a seven-year deal in the $150 million range from the team that agrees with the Twins.
“The union is going to drive the price up on this one,” an AL executive predicted.
Those dollars have people believing the Red Sox are only in it to drive the cost up on the Yankees.
BOMBERS DEALTYLERTONATS
The Yankees and Nationals made a trade of right-handed pitchers last night that sent righty Tyler Clippard to Washington for 25-year-old hard-throwing righty Jonathan Albaledejo, who appeared in 14 games last year, going 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA. In 14 1/3 innings, he fanned 12 and walked two.
Clippard was 3-1 with a 6.33 ERA in six games for the Yankees. The deal won’t be announced until players pass physicals.