6:46pm: The Royals are "moving forward" without Santana even if he is available on a one-year pact, GM Dayton Moore tells Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). "The candidates for our rotation are in-house," said Moore.
6:29pm: Free agent starter Ervin Santana has switched gears and is now looking for a one-year deal, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (links to Twitter). Santana wants to get signed and into camp as soon as possible, and does not intend to wait to ink a deal until after Opening Day.
Of course, if Santana signs a one-year deal before Opening Day, he could still be made a qualifying offer again next year. That type of scenario was said to be out of the question by Santana's agent, but we learned last night and this morning that Santana's team of representatives was undergoing some changes. It would appear that a change of strategic direction has resulted.
With the new focus on achieving a pillow contract, Santana hopes to land on a team with a strong offense, says Rosenthal. The Blue Jays and Orioles are two teams that could meet that requirement and have had interest, Rosenthal adds. It is not clear whether there is anything connecting those teams specifically to Santana since his shift of plans.
Neither is it clear whether other clubs remain in the mix, or whether Santana's market could expand. Earlier today, there were conflicting reports as to whether the Phillies had (Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, via Twitter) or had not (Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, via Twitter) inquired about the righty's services. Of course, in theory, many other clubs could potentially have renewed interest in Santana under these changed circumstances.
Can’t he just get a clause in his contract that forbids the signing team from offering him the QO next offseason?
No. Against CBA.
No, I think that is against the CBA.
Written doesn’t work. Verbal handshake works, if technically illegal.
He could always just accept the QO
Annnnnnd he gives in to the non-existent market.
The jays might be able to give up their second and then get a compensation round pick. I wonder if Santana would turn down a QO again.
I don’t get the Jays. They should be all over this like nobody’s business.
There might be something in the medicals that make teams feel just too uneasy. it also depends on what he would want on a one year deal.
Yet the Orioles are in on him?
I think he’d give up 50 homers pitching in the Rogers centre.
The QO system strikes again! This guy should’ve been signed months ago.
And he would have if he wasn’t so high and mighty on his price. He isn’t worth 4/50. Him not being signed is his own fault.
None of the guys are “worth” it. But compared to Ricky Nolasco, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Matt Garza, Ervin Santana can certainly hold his own.
Yup, if those guys are worth $50m, Santana most certainly is as well.
Depending on division. AL Central had bigger parks smaller bats and East has bigger bats smaller parks. Shields has more success in the central cause he gives up less homers playing in the big park. Also sounds like Santana ucl is a ticking time bomb with him fighting through it and strengthening it himself. Too many major concerns for the big money.
Shield did not have any more success in the Central than he did in the East and the East clearly has the better offenses during his time there.
I said that the AL east has better power hitters. And yes Shields had a better season only giving up 20 homers the lowest total since 2006 his rookie season compared to a few years ago when he gave up 34. So yes I feel Santana will be less successful in the east because he gives up a lot of homeruns and now he will pitch in smaller parks and face more power hitters.
The Tribe better get off their rear. This is getting sick!
If he gets a 1/15 million dollar deal, it’s essentially 2/30 right? I mean he could just accept a QO every year. It’s a pretty good deal for him.
Although he should have gotten guaranteed at least 4/50.
Should have? Really? Says who, other than Santana and his former agent?
Lol right?
There were only so many teams that were willing to give up their draft pick. Essentially, he was left without a chair when the music stopped.
Maybe he could have been more flexible, such as agreeing to 3 years and giving a club option for a 4th with a decent buyout ($4M?).
Santana’s inconsistency ultimately is the aspect that scares buyers.
I’m not sure there are any teams willing to give up a #1 for a 1-year rental either.
Teams surrendering lower picks – If KC and the Mets aren’t interested, who’s left? Maybe the Yankees, since there is some concern about Sabathia.
Players would rather have security than go year to year.
and if he has a bad year/ gets injured, so much for that.
Yeah. That’s definitely the risk and why I posted the other comment. But if he produces, he can still make a ton of money. This system has to be fixed.
unless he ever gets hurt. That’s why players hate to play on 1 year deals. And from what I hear, he’s got some elbow issues, probably why he wanted to get more years
Sounds like Santana’s big mistake was hiring an agent named Bean Stringfellow.
Seems legit
Ha ha ha!
String him along until he has nobody!
If I’m Santana I go to the highest bidder. Period. At 31 teams know what kind of pitcher he is. One year playing for a team that may give him a ton of run support won’t change a future contract.
That high-scoring team might put a couple more wins in his win column. That will help him get a big payday.
Thankfully, baseball has moved past this being true.
Phil Hughes would wholeheartedly agree with you.
I think Hughes is living off his potential. He is still young, but YS is not the place for him.
The Twins didn’t pay Phil Hughes because of his wins. They paid him because of his solid numbers outside of Yankee Stadium. If he can limit HR’s, he’s a pretty good pitcher. A nice fit for that division and park..
I agree, and I’m quite happy with the signing, but for the most part, I think it would very likely help Santana to pad his win column going into FA next year. Baseball may be moving on from that line of thinking, but it has not moved on entirely quite yet. At least not in my opinion.
Well, I guess the Orioles could use him.
Heck, I still can’t figure why the Royals just don’t sign him.
Dear Ervin, STOP TALKING TO KEN ROSENTHAL Sincerely, Your Savings Account
😀
Man, draft pick compensation really screwed up Santana’s market value.
He’d have gotten a lot more interest and some legit long-term offers if he didn’t have the compensation tied to him.
Signing a 1 yr deal just puts Santana back in the same place (or worse off) a year from now.
Santana (and/or his agent) screwed up Santana’s market value.
I talked over this exact scenario with a friend a month ago. He should sign with a club with no playoff hopes, such as the Cubs. He gets traded midseason and is freed of the QO next season. The Cubs in theory get better value for the 2nd rounder in the form of a prospect closer to the majors. They lose the slot money but really it is a gamble for both sides.
Exactly. What he is doing is setting himself up to be traded. He probably has some multi-year offers at unexciting dollar amounts out there, but he wants a clean shot at FA at age 32 and no draft pick attached.
Now’s your chance AA, unless you’re truly confident in the group you currently have.
The Orioles will get this done by Monday. 1/16
No chance in Hades that the O’s give him $16MM, even on a one year deal.
AJ Burnett is worth one year at 16 but Ervin Santana is not? Ervin is younger and had arguably a better year last year pitching in the AL. The draft pick compensation is irrelevant for the orioles since the pick is in the 90’s. 16 seems like a lot but not unrealistic.
It’s the flyballs (Santana) vs groundballs (Burnett).
January 16, 2015 is a Friday, not a Monday.
16jan2017 is a monday…
He is refering to the contract terms.
uhh.. one year 16 million not January 16 considering we are in March
Perhaps the Red Sox would be interested in renting Santana with the money that would’ve otherwise gone to Dempster.
And give up 27th pick, when they covet them so much. Not likely.
Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners or Baltimore Orioles could sign Ervin Santana….
I’d be less interested in Santana on a 1 year deal. Giving up a draft pick for 1 season isn’t worth it.
Lol, yeah, that’s the irony there. Teams may actually not want to give up a 1st round pick for only 1 year of service.
The draft pick compensation tied to Santana has really hurt him.
Not sure I agree with that. Did it hurt Jimenez? He got 4 years, $50 million even though it cost the Orioles a draft pick.
What has hurt Santana is that not even one team seems to think he’s as valuable as he thinks he is. If he had sought Kyle Lohse money in December, starting from that platform he could have started a bidding war. Maybe he would have gotten Jimenez money if he had started off at a reasonable price.
But is Santana worth more than Jimenez and Garza (no draft pick) and Nolasco (no draft pick)? He might think so, but it doesn’t seem there’s a single team that agrees.
No. Signing him for one year actually makes the draft pick less significant, because unless his arm falls off he will be eminently tradeable mid-season, and you get much more for him than a 2nd rounder is worth. He will go to a top ten draft pick team (or the Jays) on one year, then get traded (unless that team is unexpectedly good).
Plenty of teams would not be giving up a 1st round pick, about 1/2 would only give up a 2nd round pick or later. Yankees, Orioles, Rays, Mets, Rangers, etc
There is no reason for the Royals to not be in on him for this season if he will do a 1 year deal. If they really are “all in” then this is a worthy risk. If he does falter and does follow his every other year of being good, so be it. Even if he goes to league average production, having 2-3 league average guys (Santana, Guthrie, and Vargas, though it’s debatable on how long those last 2 will be league average or below), a way above average in Shields and a possible lightning bolt in Ventura, with Duffy waiting in the wings and Zimmer polishing/staying uninjured in the minors, makes the outlook look a hell of a lot better. But it’s doubtful it happens and is more of a pipe dream.
Agreed. I’m really hoping he ends up back in KC. If the stars (finally) align for them, they might be able to give the Tigers a good run for their money.
Santana should have said something before the Rangers signed Saunders.
Saunder’s contract is heavily based on incentives. They could cut him loose right now and wouldn’t stand to lose a whole lot, only $250,000 I believe.
Well the Orioles wasted their first and second round picks. I say, if the price is right, bring him in also seeing how it’s only going to cost you a third round pick now.
Wasted? Interesting…..how so?
With their drafting and development history, the O’s were guaranteed two HOF’ers.
If I remember right, isn’t the Cubs first round draft pick protected? And if so, on a one year contract, it seems like Ervin could fit if he is willing. He could be a sign and flip candidate, or worst or best case, he stays with the team and they can collect a draft pick when he signs next year. Good idea or no?
Definitely good idea.
One year contract for a lower dollar amount doesn’t do much for him. If he has a good year, he’s going to get a QO. If he’s poor, he just drives his value lower. The “pillow” he probably has in mind at least the one year deal Edwin Jackson got from Washington a few years ago. I don’t know if he’s going to get that, plus the cost of a draft pick.
He gets to pick a team he likes, and if he gets a QO maybe he takes it with that team that he likes. Also, a good year helps eliminate doubts about his consistency.
bet he signs for less than the qualifying offer
At least he signs with a team he wants (large market team that gives him exposure), and may position himself for a bigger payday next year than if he stayed with the Royals.
With Dempster out and Peavy with a bad finger, I wonder of the Red Sox might be in on him. Yankees should be but they probably think Pineda is their man for the 5th spot, even if his innings will be limited, and they have a “budget” .
He should sign a one year deal with the Cubs. With a little luck, Olt and Rizzo emerge this season, Castro rebounds, and Baez, Soler have great rookie seasons. Likely, no but a rotation of Samardiza, Jackson, Santana, Wood, and Edwards is at least passable.
The Red Sox would lose financial flexibility, which they would get at trade deadline. They would lose a draft pick. They also have a decent amount of arms and no major issues at the moment.
I would consider that ruling them completely out.
Fly-ball pitcher or not, the Yankees should jump all over him as their #5.
Why? Tanaka, Kuroda, Nova, Sabathia, Pineda. David Phelps as the longman. They don’t need Ervin Santana.
Red Sox covet picks, they won’t give up 27th for any of the players remaining.
It’s definitely going to be the O’s or the Phils, and the O’s are in it to win it all right now. The offense on paper is stacked, and they really could use a 5th guy for the rotation over Miguel Gonzalez/Bud Norris. They could even move Bud into the pen as a closer and shore up the bullpen, they will almost definitely sign Santana.
Perhaps, but not at $16MM per year.
The door is open . Lets get it done Mariners!
Not really. I wouldn’t call it too much of a loss having to find a replacement for JA Happ. I think it’s safe to say Hutchison will earn a spot in the rotation (and potentially perform better than Happ), so simply swap those two and you’re back to status quo.
Best bet would be a 2 year deal with an opt-out cause after one year. that way if he plays lights out then he may get his contract, if he gets hurt he gets another year to try for the gold ring.
The only real concern I may have about him is that he might tank to get released/traded then pitch lights out for the team who picks him up so he wont have qo and still get a good FA deal.
That strategy you mention in your 2nd paragraph would seem to be very risky for Santana, as he already has consistency issues surrounding his image.
To be fair he did have a bad 2012, but then again 5 of his first 6 starts the Angels were shut out, so that can kinda mess you up.
I could envision a team signing him with the sole intent of a mid season trade to get more young talent. This gives Santana incentive to perform which helps him and the team and eliminates the QO..
do u still need to give a pick for him? if so they need a rule or clause where that requirement expires by a certain date.
It expires after the draft in June.
haha maybe.
haha maybe.