The $antana $weepstakes

The New York Yankees are prepared to offer the Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes, outfielder Melky Cabrera, and a second tier prospect for the right to then sign Johan Santana for something in the neighborhood of 6 years, $150 million.

First, I have to wonder how New York can afford to do this financially after re-upping with A-Rod for as much as $305 million over 10 years, re-signing Posada for $52.4 million over 4, and Rivera for $45 million over 3 years. Let's not forget, this team also has Giambi, Jeter, Abreu, Damon, Matsui, and Mussina signed to very lucrative deals as well. Unless the Yanks are minting their own money in the home team dugout, conventional wisdom would tell you the well has to run dry at some point, right?

Next, money aside, I have to wonder if Santana would really make the Yankees that much better of a team, i.e. a team that can beat the Boston Red Sox and go to the World Series. If they were to send Hughes and Cabrera to Minnesota, and assuming Clemens and Pettitte retire, New York's starting rotation would still be very front-heavy. Santana and Wang would be as good a 1-2 punch as anybody, although in the playoffs, the Sox would arguably still have the upper hand with Beckett and Schilling. And after their first two starters, New York would be in basically the same situation they were in last year. Who's their number 3? Ian Kennedy? Yes, he's good and he's young, but he's thrown 19 innings in his big league career. There's simply no way of knowing how he'll hold up over 30+ starts. Is Mike Mussina their number 4? He turns 39 in a week and people hit .342 off him in the second half. Again, what will he be good for over 30 starts? And then who's the number 5? Carl Pavano? Jeff Karstens? Kei Igawa? Matt DeSalvo? Chase Wright? Like Steve Perry once sang, the list goes on and on and on and on. The only difference is, I have stopped believing.

All that's not taking into consideration the defensive hit New York would take by losing Cabrera in center and having to play Johnny Damon there. Unless they signed Aaron Rowand or Andruw Jones (neither of whom would be cheap) their starting outfield would feature a trio of 34-year-olds by the All-Star Break with Matsui in left, JD in center and Abreu in right. Add to that a catcher who allowed an AL-worst 102 steals, a very average left side of the infield in Jeter and A-Rod and a gigantic question mark at first and this isn't exactly a contact pitcher's dream.

Personally, I think they'd be better served going after somebody like Dan Haren. He won't cost you as much in prospects or cash and all the sudden, you have a deeper pitching staff and a better defensive team. The Red Sox are good because they're holding onto their young talent- the same reason why the Yanks were good in mid-to-late 90's. I know there's a lot of pressure on them to one-up Boston in the Santana Sweepstakes, but there's a pretty good chance he won't be worth what New York will have to pay to get him...not like that's stopped them before.