Heyman's Latest: Garcia, Ricciardi, Sabathia

Rangers, Astros and Mariners ... how does that make any sense?

Gotta say the best change you made with the site design is the fact that I can see who made the post at the top rather than the bottom of the post.

bjsguess- I don't know why the Mariners would go after him, but the Rangers are still in it (don't think they will be for too much longer). The Astros need pitching to go along with that offense. I don't think he will do instant wonders for any team that gets him, but both the Rangers and Astros need pitching bad to stay, or in the Astros case get back in, the races

OK final, final comment... what upsets me the very most about the editors choosing to chase me away is the fact I very recently opened an account to start commenting. Now they decided they don't want me here. Thanks guys.

Hopefully other teams learn from the Mets that this is a horrible, horrible idea. I do believe Sabtahia is much more worthy of that type of deal though. Just watching Santana, I dont get it. His ERA is good and all, but I dont know why. He throws too many pitches, tops out at 92, mostly sits at 89-91, constantly falls behind hitters, and is a two pitch pitcher. Maybe he will really turn it around in the second half, but when does it get to a point where I get to tell all the Mets fans..... I TOLD YOU SO. From the beginning I thought this was a very bad idea, he was not going to fix all their problems, just take up most of their payroll and stop them from making any move of any significant impact during the season, and the guy is already on the decline and he is here for 6 more years. I have a feeling that by the end of his contract here, he will be one of the most hated Mets I have ever watched. God knows what will happen when his fastball loses more velocity, because teams already are just laying off his changeup. Somehow he keeps them in the game almost everytime, but it feels like he is walking a tightrope and he is going to fall off soon. Not impressed at all by watching Santana on my team for the first half of this season.

And the worst part of it is, if things really get bad, the Mets are just screwed, nobody would take this guys contract. Even today, June 23, 2008, I dont think the Mets could even give Santana away. Literally. I think besides Hank, no other team would be interested in touching Santana and that contract, even if it didn't cost them a single player. I have always heard he looks very human in the first half, but up until now he has been a downright disapointment.

Has Johan Santana enjoyed more success in the last 5 years then CC Sabathia? Absolutely. But if you put a gun to my head right now, and ask me who is the better pitcher, or who would I take on my team today for the next 5 years, I'm going Sabathia. For the last 5 years (minus the last year and a half), CC has been a power pitcher with great stuff and somewhat questionable control, not necesarrily walking people, but without the ability to paint and throw darts to spots. That isn't the case anymore. This guy is a big, strong, over powering pitcher that now sports some really sick command. He has a better repetoire then Santana, and now with just as good location. Another knock on CC earlier in his career was that he would tire late in games. Not anymore. He is a true horse.

CC has the size and power over Santana, he is a very intimidating presence and this does count for something. He can now change speeds and locate with the best of them. Santana is almost constantly fastball/changeup, though he does change speeds well on the changeup. He still rarely uses his slider, which he must do to just keep guys off balance.

Don't get me wrong, Santana is a great pitcher, but so far this year, although he has constantly been solid, he has not been the dominating presence on the mound everybody expected. He was paid to be great, not just pretty good most of the time. CC just has the ability to truely dominate a team, that Santana has not shown since entering the NL. Santana has easily the better career, but that does not mean that he is still better right now.

Perhaps Santana is better, and he just has not shown it so far because he is a second half guy, or adjusting to a different league, or whatever, but CC has better stuff and in the last couple of years learned how to dominate people with it. While Santana has been good this year, he has been nothing resembling dominant outside of one start in Philly. If I am paying 6 years/140 million (which I never would give a pitcher anyway), I want dominant.

I think people should lay off Santana a little bit. Give him a break, he's in a new league with a new team in a new park. He's just started playing under the pressure of his new contract in the largest market in the sport. All this after coming from one of the most laid back places to play where there was pressure but not nearly the scale of what he's under now.

It may generally be easier to pitch in the NL than the AL but there is still an adjustment period. Shea may be a better place to pitch than the Metrodome, but again, adjustment period. Johan is one of the greats, he'll figure it out and all the short bus whiners who have no patience and panic because they can't see past the end of their noses will have to eat crow. 20 years from now when we look back on Santana's career his next five years are so are going to look pretty good. Panic and go all drama queen if you must but saying that no one else would take Santana right now is foolish.

Ya know, with each rising sun it seems we are presented with a new poster doing his best to show us that reading comprehension has been completely abandoned in school...

Our latest example; (from TheTEEJ)
“You need a gun to your head but not for what pitcher to take. Your honestly saying that CC HAS been better than Johan over the last 5 years? Think Johan would get the nod in my book for "a true horse" and i'm just taking a stab that your from Ohio. Just sayin......”

He didn’t say Sabathia has been better the last 5 years. Infact, he said the exact opposite:

“Has Johan Santana enjoyed more success in the last 5 years then CC Sabathia? Absolutely.”

Also, Nrmax also isnt from Ohio ~ he’s a Mets fan. If he was from Ohio he would have had a better understanding of what to expect from Johan; we Indians fans only watched the guy 5-7 times a year…

Pretty interesting article from Joel Sherman. It's what I been trying or attempting to explain to some of the regulars that post on this site in regards to the Santana trade. Cut and paste and read. This is what Cashman stated on WFAN. He stated it on 2 occasions and like I said it was stated on the radio and not written in paper. Here it is on paper from a NY sports writer. I hope this helps Darkstar.

http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/st/archives/2008/06/3_down_santana_4.html#more

"Its like the Brandon Webb talks"

Should elaborate here...

Brandon Webb talks from a week ago, where the extension was put on hold, and everybody seemed all confused because of how sick Webb is. But that doesn't mean you sign him now for what he has done in his past and overpay for his future. Thought got cut off up there.. sorry about that.