Santana also has a comprehensive no-trade clause, so the deal would require Santana to waive the clause. His own statements make it clear he would be willing to do that if the circumstances were right. I think that would mean HUGE contract extension from a team that will contend EVERY year. This narrows it down to about 4 teams, maybe fewer.

Right now it looks like the teams that would have the ability to lure Santana likely don’t have the positions available that MN needs. Sure NY has a boat load of young pitching talent, but so does MN, we’re not going to trade Santana to bolster an already crowded rotation.

MN needs bats, and we need them now. Unless a team is willing to offer significant help to our depleted offense a trade won’t happen.

He’s not a prospect anymore. And it’s a long, long way from best prospect to elite MLB pitcher. Hughes wasn’t even the best rookie pitcher on his own team.

Not knocking him. Nice pitcher. Probably middle of the order on a good team. But untouchable? That’s hyperbole from CashMan, meant to drive his trade value up.

“3d base – 1st base dilemma will be a zero sum game, the more spent at one position, the less available for the other.”

Agreed 100%. Since productive first baseman are easier to come by than offensive threats at 3b, I think it makes more sense to fill 3b with a defensive specialist and invest more resources to fulfill our hitting needs at the position with lower demand and higher supply (1b). It’s a bonus if that productive first baseman wears a gold glove. I envision a Crede/Betemit platoon at 3b with the Yankees acquiring Teixeira in a deadline deal in 2008 or via free agency after 2008. Atlanta just dealt away Renteria for a young starter so it seems they’re sacrificing the present in order to plan for the future. We have the young pitchers to land Teixeira in a deadline deal. If they want any of the untouchables, we can just wait another 1/2 season and buy Teixeira on the open market. Because of the asking price of Miggy vs. Teixeira, I’d rather pursue Teixeira (via trade or free agency) and wait until 2010 when Miggy becomes a free agent.

In this scenario, we keep the future in tact. In the worst case scenario, 2008 becomes a transition year but I’ll take that over a panic move any day.

As for packaging Austin Jackson an Jose Tabata early in the yr. there was a poster here trying to convince me that trading Joba Chamberlain to Atlanta for Saltalamacchia or Teixeira was a “smart” decision I told that poster

“picture this Joba in Atlanta becoming the next Nolan Ryan, would you be ok w/ that ?”

Now for people trying to go quick fix because we lost our 3B and a RH power hitter going after Miggy Cabrera or a Scott Kazmir..

PICTURE THIS “Austin Jackson becomes an allstar gold glove CF hitting like Vernon Wells except w/ more baserunning speed and 1/2 his MLB hits are XBH, he’s deemed the best CF in the game”

“Jose Tabata a good fielding COF and starts pulling the ball becomes a Manny like batter and is coming through in the clutch for GW hits and BBs”

would you like seeing a 19 yr. old and 20 yr. old who should have been your future franchise pieces in another jersey succeeding ? I KNOW I WOULDN’T

As for packaging Austin Jackson an Jose Tabata

early in the yr. there was a poster here trying to convince me that trading Joba Chamberlain to Atlanta for Saltalamacchia or Teixeira was a “smart” decision I told that poster

“picture this Joba in Atlanta becoming the next Nolan Ryan, would you be ok w/ that ?”

Now for people trying to go quick fix because we lost our 3B and a RH power hitter going after Miggy Cabrera or a Scott Kazmir..

PICTURE THIS “Austin Jackson becomes an allstar gold glove CF hitting like Vernon Wells except w/ more baserunning speed and 1/2 his MLB hits are XBH, he’s deemed the best CF in the game”

“Jose Tabata a good fielding COF and starts pulling the ball becomes a Manny like batter and is coming through in the clutch for GW hits and BBs”

would you like seeing a 19 yr. old and 20 yr. old who should have been your future franchise pieces in another jersey succeeding ? I KNOW I WOULDN’T

If the Angles show the least sign of balking at taking A-Rod, either to seriously consider Cabrera or in starting to shy way from A-Rod’s asking price, Boras is not above staging a public apology to the Yankees, saying it was all his fault and won’t you please let us talk to you now. When it comes to getting the deal done, Boras has no pride.

I dont even know who this Tiffany guy is, and since he hasnt made his name known to us since he’s been moved, I feel pretty comfortable about him not being a prospect.

and they still arent the level of real prospects.

We know. He was traded to them from the Dodgers by Ned Colletti, which is what we’re discussing.