Twins righty Ervin Santana recently cleared trade waivers and can be dealt to any team in the coming days, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports. Teams have until Wednesday to deal for players they wish to include on their postseason rosters.
Acquiring the 33-year-old Santana would be a considerable investment for any team — he’s making $13.5MM this season and will make the same amounts in both 2017 and 2018 as well. (He also has a club/vesting option for 2019.) Santana has pitched quite well this season, however, posting a 3.33 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 140 2/3 innings. That includes a 1.89 ERA, 7.7 K/9 and a miserly 1.5 BB/9 in what has so far been a terrific second half. After an 80-game PED suspension last year in the first season of his four-year deal with Minnesota, Santana has reestablished himself as a reliable rotation option. As Berardino points out, the fact that Santana cleared waivers might indicate that the Twins might have to take on some salary to deal him. If they are willing to do so, however, they should be able to get legitimate talent in return.
The Twins are 49-79, miles out of the playoff race, and it stands to reason they would consider trading productive veterans. Last month, though, interim GM Rob Antony told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that the Twins were in no rush to trade Santana, pointing out that Santana’s remaining contract (basically, a two-year deal with an option) would make him a very attractive trade candidate amidst a weak free agent market next offseason and declaring that the Twins have no need to move Santana’s salary.
Still, expect to hear Santana’s name bandied about in the coming days. The ability to acquire a solid starting pitcher on a seemingly reasonable contract on the August trade market isn’t particularly common, and Santana’s talent and controllability would make him an attractive asset for any number of contenders.
Mets ?
Red Sox should be giving them a call. Then they can dump Bucholz.
Buch has pitched well lately
Twins don’t need to move him. And they prefer to keep him unless they are overwhelmed. Clay Bucholz isn’t going to pry him loose. Sorry.
Nobody said anything about trading Buchholz for Santana.
I think he goes to the Redsox
He’s not going anywhere until off-season. He’s way too valuable for the Twins to just give him up for nothing, so he’s a risk-free claim. That means he’ll be claimed as a block before anyone seriously interested in acquiring him has a chance.
Nevermind, he cleared waivers. My bad.
Our pitching is doing fine for now
Orioles rotation in shambles
I think braves may try to work something out for him, reports have shown they want a veteran pitcher when they move to suntrust next season, if Twins ate 10 mil of overall contract the Braves should bring him back, figure a deal with Aaron Blair and maybe a infield prospect and a low level pitching prospect or even Dustin Pederson
No way Braves give up that much for Santana. Unless they take Markakis and or pay all of Santana’s salary, then maybe, but there’s no way they give up Peterson for him the way he’s been playing in AA. Looks like a VERY solid piece for us.
No reason to keep Pederson, we have Mallex, Ender Inciarte, and Matt Kemp, Markakis will be traded this offseason, we will be signing a 4th outfielder (hopefully Frenchy) and then we have Versitile players on 25 man roster that also can play outfield. I think Pederson and Blair and a low level pitcher could Ervin. If Blair figures it out he is at best a #3 starter, 2 tops
Blair will never be a 2. Peterson has the ability to be the Braves starting left fielder of the future. Blair, Winkle and Camargo for Santana if the twins eat 11 mil in salary is fair.
Winkler***
The Braves have many reasons to keep Dustin Peterson, since he has increased his value as a position prospect within the organization over the last few months, and that’s not an area of strength for the Braves.
Kemp could easily go more downhill. Mallex is still very much unproven. They’ll try to sell somewhat high on Markakis while they can. Ender is probably the only relatively safe bet in the outfield for the Braves right now.
I even doubt they’d deal Blair at this point, since it would be a sell low point. They’d only do that if they don’t believe he can rebound with them. If the Braves were going to pursue Santana it would almost definitely be very much a pitcher focused swap though.
Your crazy if you think the braves can give up that for santana and expect the twins to eat money on the deal
No way I’d give up Blair alone for Santana much less throw in anyone else. I wouldn’t even give Blair up if the Twins paid all of Santana’s remaining salary. Blair may not be a #1 or #2, but I think he’s a solid #3 who just needs a little more time just like we’re beginning to see now with Folty and Wisler. Santana is more of a #4 innings eater type. Why give up a much younger #3 for that?
Doesn’t make sense to trade him unless they get a really good younger SP back in return. I wouldn’t want them to just give him away.
Yes, this is a losing season and the Twins are going nowhere. They’re going nowhere until they get 3-4 more competent SP’s, but they also need the stability that Santana provides. He’s the only decent SP they have. He’s the only SP that consistently goes 6, 7, even 8 innings. The rest struggle the majority of the time. They’d need to run a one man bench and the rest be pitchers in order to just survive without him. That’s how bad it is. He’s exactly what they need, while also being one of their most valuable SP trade pieces. Tough spot to be in.
I totally agree. They would have to get a young, controlable SP for a trade to even start to make sense. Twins rotation is something awful this year and farm help is probably a year & a half away with Gonsalves & Stewart.
That’s exactly what they signed him for. Just holding the fort.
Dodgers should take a look
Dodgers need him since kazmir injured
Could the Jays be in play?? They Jays have been linked to him for years including the deadline this year. I’m even hearing the Jays might pull another August trade and if the Jays got Santana I’m sure that means Sanchez goes to the bullpen.
Estrada?
Twins would be crazy to trade him. They have a horrible, HORRIBLE rotation, plus a week FA class coming up. They would have a hard time replacing him.
Dodgers he can replace kazmir and McCarthy
I’m surprised he cleared waivers.
Come on O’s, you need pitching
The Rangers could come calling. I know his name has come up recently with the club. While Hamels and Darvish are clear top of the rotation guys no one has taken the reigns as the third starter and with the postseason quickly approaching we need that third guy to be reliable.
I do t trust Derek holland and never have and Martin Perez still can’t seem to take that next step to become a mid to upper to station guy. Don’t be surprised if he’s a Ranger by early next week
*Mid to upper rotation guy
Orioles need a guy like him if they are going to stay in the race. The fade has already begun.
If not the o’s, Phillies should/could also make a strike on him . His contract is well below QO level and he could easily assume the veteran starter role . Phillies also have parts to trade that are almost MLB ready and young , and 1 or 2 already in the majors.
For what it’s worth, the only reason teams claim players on trade waivers this time of year is to have the player’s team pull him back and thus block a trade. It doesn’t really indicate anything about the player’s perceived value.
Why not re-unite with Kansas City. He could replace Gee in the rotation and then next year would replace Voquez.. All comes down to money and how much the Twins want for him. Asking price is high from what I hear and that is why no team claimed him.
The fact that he wasn’t claimed has nothing to do with the asking price. No team wanted to risk the twins accepting their claim and being stuck with his contract. Otherwise everyone would have claimed him and not had to give up any prospects. The twins will have to absorb some salary. Which goes to show you what his true value is. With what pitchers are making and the weak market for them this offseason nobody wanted to take on his contract
Minnesota would be a good place for Puig to rebuild.
The Twins are dangling him for top prospects. 13..5 isn’t that bad for a guy who can slip in as a #2 or 3 for a team who needs a boost towards post season.