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Fernando Martinez

CC Sabathia Links

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The CC Sabathia trade is complete, but there’s still some good info floating about.

Odds and Ends: Signing Johnny Cueto

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Cincinnati’s top three prospects garnered so much attention this spring that Johnny Cueto’s dominant debut on Thursday caught even some well-informed baseball watchers by surprise. The 22-year old Dominican, who began last year in Single A, seemed to explode upon the major leagues as Athena did from the head of Zeus: fully formed, and from a very unexpected place.

If you’re a GM, just how do you get your mitts on a talent like Cueto’s? Courtesy of Reds Insider, we have a peek at the story of the scouting and signing of the Reds rookie (is it still too soon to call him a "phenom"?). Cincinnati’s then-director of international operations, Johnny Almaraz, squeezed in an early-morning look at Cueto before his flight out of the Dominican Republic. Liking what he saw, he signed the 18-year old righty for $3.5K. (For contrast, the following year the Mets signed 16-year old Fernando Martinez for $1.4MM. That’s quite a differential.)

The full story, by John Fay, will appear in tomorrow’s Cincinnati Enquirer.

Sarah Green writes for the Boston Metro and UmpBump.com. She can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pedro’s Injury

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Earlier this week Pedro Martinez pulled a hamstring in his first start of ’08 and is expected to be out until mid-May. The loss of Martinez will likely only cost the Mets seven to eight starts, which might only be a difference in two to three wins over that span. Of course, two or three more wins in ’07 and the Mets would have spent October in the playoffs. With the importance of every single start magnified this year for the Mets, it would not be surprising for Omar Minaya to seek outside help as a contingency plan for Martinez (who at this point in his career cannot be counted on to stay healthy for any length of time). One long shot is Rich Harden, whom the A’s may be auditioning for possible suitors. Let’s take a look at what is being said in the Blogophere…

  • The ’Ropolitans don’t see the Mets trading any more players in the near future, especially for an injury-riddled player such as Harden.
  • Mets Fever doesn’t think the Mets have the pieces to land Harden and would rather see the money go to Oliver Perez after the season.
  • Mets Merized thinks that Claudio Vargas would provide the Mets with some stability but if he isn’t willing to accept a minor league deal they feel the Mets have plenty of in-house options…Mets Merized also feels that the loss of Martinez will not have an effect on the Mets’ championship hopes.
  • MetsBlog comments on the Vargas rumors and says that a backup plan for Martinez should be Minaya’s number one priority…MetsBlog also notes that the Mets should stay away from Harden as he will certainly cost Fernando Martinez.
  • Faith and Fear in Flushing is reminded of Mets injuries from years past and won’t be expecting any contribution from Martinez in the near future.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Johan Santana Rumors

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UPDATE, 1-28-08 at 9:42am: LEN3 jumps on his blog to give a few more tidbits.  He doesn’t see the Twins adding a player or any kind of three-team scenario unfolding, based on talks with Twins officials.

FROM 1-28-08 at 9:09am:

I imagine there will be a daily thread for Johan Santana rumors.  Here’s the latest from LEN3.

  • The Twins "may soon tell teams…to step up with their best offers."  The Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets are all still in the mix.
  • The officials Neal spoke to disputed Buster Olney’s suggestion that Jon Lester was off the table.
  • The Twins still want a big ol’ package from the Mets that includes both Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez.
  • Meanwhile, Sid Hartman at the same newspaper quotes the Twins’ assistant GM as saying their four-year, $80MM offer remains on the table.  Santana doesn’t seem likely to relent that far, and a trade may be a phone call away.

Johan Santana Rumors

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UPDATE, 1-25-08 at 9:46pm: According to LEN3: I was told today that next week is a big week in terms of determining if and where Santana will be dealt.  The end is in sight, then?

FROM 1-25-08 at 9:30am:

Time for your daily Johan Santana rumors post.

  • LEN3 talked to a Twins official who said there had been no recent extension talks between Santana and the Twins.  Meanwhile Sid Hartman at the same paper says the Mets and Yankees won’t go seven years, and he think the Twins’ 4/80 offer is fair.
  • Neal says that while Santana won’t necessarily veto any trade reached after Spring Training starts, it’s in everyone’s best interest to avoid dragging it that far. 
  • The Mets are still reluctant to part with Fernando Martinez, seemingly the dealbreaker right now.  Aaron Heilman could enter the mix though.
  • Neal believes the Yankee/Red Sox offers from December are still on the table.  This has been my hunch as well.  Which is why I think Boston can still pull this off.
  • If no deal can be reached soon the Twins might have to sign a stopgap CF like Corey Patterson or Kenny Lofton.
  • Buster Olney on Johan’s warning signs: I talked with evaluators and scouts with three other teams since then, and they all saw the exact same thing in Santana: diminishment in velocity, relatively few sliders thrown, subpar (for Santana) performances. But two of the three believe the regression could be attributed to the Twins not being in the race, Minnesota not playing in a high-adrenalin situation, and Santana coping with a cracked nail. The third evaluator wonders, too, if Santana is OK. "If a deal is made, you could see there would be a complete physical, given the money involved," said the evaluator.

Church As Part Of A Santana Deal?

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Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has some info on a Johan Santana possibility, and it isn’t the usual rehashed stuff.  He writes:

A package the Twins could receive will probably not include both of the Mets’ top outfield prospects, Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. There are indications that Martinez would be in the deal, along with major league outfielder Ryan Church and at least two other prospects. Starter Mike Pelfrey could be part of the deal as well….

Would Martinez, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey, and Church get it done?  Maybe not a fan-pleaser but you’d have guys who can contribute now and others that can develop into superstars.  Would Michael Cuddyer still be a center field candidate if the Twins acquire Church?

Johan Santana Rumors

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman and the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s La Velle E. Neal III recently weighed in on the Johan Santana situation.

  • Neal says the Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees have all had recent discussions with the Twins about Santana. He says the Twins have "stepped up their efforts" to make a deal before Spring Training.
  • Heyman believes the Mets have taken the lead.  He thinks it would take five or more prospects, and submission by the Red Sox and Yankees. 
  • Heyman says the Twins may prefer Carlos Gomez over Fernando Martinez.  That would be good for the Mets, who do not want to part with Martinez.

Johan Santana Rumors

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I know some of you crave daily Johan Santana updates…today we’ve got a blurb from Charley Walters:

The Twins say they’re not panicking while holding out for the best deal for Johan Santana. But word within baseball circles is that offers by the New York Yankees (no more Phil Hughes) and Boston Red Sox are diminishing by the week. Best bet now for a trade of the two-time Cy Young Award winner appears to be with the New York Mets in a deal that would not include fast-rising hitter Fernando Martinez.

Yikes – from those solid Yankee/Red Sox offers to a Martinez-less Mets package?  If that happens then I would say Bill Smith overplayed his hand.  Kat O’Brien recently talked to Smith, but wasn’t able to get much out of him.  She believes the Yanks, Red Sox, and Mets "all retain some interest."

Fernando Martinez May Be Key To Santana Deal

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Nothing groundbreaking here, but Ken Davidoff spoke to "an industry offical familiar with Minnesota’s trade discussions," who believes the inclusion of young outfielder Fernando Martinez could close the Johan Santana deal for the Mets.  Davidoff notes that some combination of Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Philip Humber, and Kevin Mulvey would have to be in there too.  Perhaps the sides will ultimately agree on Martinez and all the rest except for Gomez.

The Yankees and Red Sox remain in the mix, though the Yanks seem ready to move on.

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