The Diceman Cometh

Red Sox May Be In Driver's Seat For Santana
By JEFF GOLDBERG | The Hartford Courant
11:39 AM EST, December 4, 2007
Johan Santana moved closer to Boston early this morning.

After meeting well into the night at the winter meetings in Nashville, according to multiple reports, the Red Sox and Twins traded medical information on Santana and lefthander Jon Lester, signaling that a trade could be close.

The Red Sox would send Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp, minor league infielder Jed Lowrie and righthander Justin Masterson for Santana. The two sides were expected to resume talks this afternoon.

Once a deal is agreed upon, the Red Sox would have a 72-hour window to negotiate a new contract for Santana, who becomes a free agent after the 2008 season. Santana is reportedly seeking a six-year, $150 million contract.

The Yankees are believed to be walking away from the negotiations after the Twins demanded both pitchers Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy. The Yankees had set a Monday deadline for a deal.

After the Yankees talks broke down Monday night, the Twins re-engaged the Red Sox, with the meeting lasting well past midnight.

The Twins had been seeking center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, but the Red Sox apparently have prevailed in keeping Ellsbury out of the deal.
(source)

The rich get richer.....But the "poor" Twinkies are doin' alright as well...

I wonder whether the deal can be done without losing Ellsbury?

my guess is theo does the deal ONLY if he can keep ellsbury...

I think that is why Crisp is front and center....

Ellsbury is not untouchable. The sox have apparently told the Twins Ellsbury can be packaged, however not with Lester. One or the other.

The Twins may pick the package with Lester & Crisp, since they need to replace a spot in the rotation. If Ellsbury goes, then Crisp stays.

I heard it's a three-man deal if Ellsbury's in, a four-man deal if not.

Good updates here.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/thebuzz/

Wow, that's really up to the minute.
The most recent post is dated 12/09. Today is 12/05.
Fun stuff nevertheless. I can't wait to see how this shakes out.

detroit landed cabrera & willis from the mahlins last night, so minny might try to stay competitive and keep Jo-San until the trading deadline...

They don't want to keep him all the way to the deadline though, if they still want to trade him at that point they may not get as much in return. Teams will offer less, knowing they have to unload him.

All the new reports are saying it looks like it may not happen with the Sox. That would suck, having him in this rotation would be insane.

whoever does finally sign him will be driving up the price for other elite pitchers like cy beckett...

Well that's a given. Every time an ace like this is signed to a long-term contract it usually sets a precedent.

the whereabouts of the '07 world series ball?

apparently pap left it on his kitchen counter, and his dog took it and chewed it up...

Pap is a piece o' work.

Yea, I'm sure his dog chewed it up.

He must have left the ball in the same place he used to leave his homework.

Wow. At the exact time I read this, guy on Espn introduced the story by saying, "remember the saying, 'the dog ate my homework?'", well....

pap dawg must now face the "consequences and repercussions"...

I don't think it's going to be as big a deal as before. If this was their first WS win in 89 years, maybe another story. I don't think there's a lot they can do, if he says it's destroyed...