The Sports Truth

One of the best and worst avenues that covered the baseball winter meetings was espn.com’s live blog from Nashville. With its entire staff of baseball writers at the Opryland Hotel to cover the proceedings, the lay people who were unable (or not invited) to attend could live vicariously through Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, Jayson Stark, etc. with their hourly updates.

The updates were phenomenal entertainment, especially if your team was involved in any of the rumors. However, they also gave us some of the most absurd trade possibilities and potential free agent signings that had a shocking lack of logic to them. Obviously the Santana trade talks were the focus of most of the posts and we’ve covered that ad nauseum. We’ll cover the rest.

In no particular order:

A zany three-team trade with the Mets and Twins that would have featured Haren, Santana and Jose Reyes changing teams. Thoughts on this trade are aptly summed up by Billy Beane: “There’s a better chance of me breeding unicorns than there is of that deal happening.”

Billy Beane’s sarcasm did little to diffuse the notion that he despises baseball’s winter meetings.

Scott Rolen to the Brewers for Chris Capuano and a top prospect. This trade is absurd because the Brewers turned the Cardinals down. I’m sure you’re thinking they didn’t want to trade their top prospect. Nope. They wouldn’t part with Capuano. You know, the same guy who lost 21 straight appearances for the Brewers this year.

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The Sports Truth founder, Levi Matthews, and senior editor, Lucas Dwyer, Yankees and Red Sox fans, respectively, spent two days debating the merits of the hottest MLB rumors - specifically their respective favorite teams’ efforts to trade for Johan Santana.

The debaters started their discussion on November 27th and concluded it on December 4th. For the first part, click here.

December 4th …

Levi: Do you wanna stretch before we talk about Santana?

Luke: First off, I love the Yankee ultimatums. Great subplot of this offseason

Levi: It boggles the mind. Just say it’s your final offer and chill the heck out. Why make a deadline?

Luke: Because they want to move on Haren instead?

Levi: But there’s NO way the Twins actually trade Santana for just Lester, right? Right?!? They have to just be drawing this out to get more from the Yanks.

Boston Red Sox LHP Jon Lester is rumored to be heading to Minnesota in exchange for Johan Santana.

Luke: The initial offer from the Sox was Lester, Crisp, Jed Lowrie (who’s good) and another minor leaguer.

Levi: But, how is that offer better than Hughes/Melky?!? Lester has a 4.60 career ERA.

Luke: In what, 15 starts? (editors note: Lester has 26 career starts)

Levi: He’s good, sure. But, is his ceiling as high as Hughes?

Luke: Probably not, but he is a lefty. I guess I agree that the Yankees offer is better. It depends on Lowrie who was the Red Sox minor league player of the year.

Levi: Right.. so I think/pray they’re trying to get Kennedy in it, too.

Luke: For whatever it’s worth, the Sox second offer was Ellsbury, Lowrie, and Masterson (basically where Buchholz was this time last year in terms of development).

Levi: They need a CF/pitcher and they’re asking for that from the Yanks - so I can’t see how thy can agree to any trade with Boston that doesn’t include Ellsbury AND Lester/Clay. If the Sox get Santana and keep Ellsbury and Clay…something is amiss dammit.

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The Sports Truth founder, Levi Matthews, and senior editor, Lucas Dwyer, Yankees and Red Sox fans, respectively, spent two days debating the merits of their teams’ efforts to trade for superstar pitcher Johan Santana. The debaters started their discussion on November 27th and concluded it on December 4th. For the second part, click here.

The rumor of rampant trade speculation, Johan Santana, could bring a World Series title to the team he’s traded to. However, the left-handed ace comes at an expensive price.

November 27th …

Levi: I’ve crafted a debate in my head between Santana and Haren. Do you know how cheap Haren is?? $15 million over the next three years. What if the Yanks can get him and keep either Hughes or Kennedy? Is that not better than Santana?

Luke: Why is he available?

Levi: Because the A’s are giving up, apparently. They’re starting completely over… without young, cheap pitching somehow.

Luke: How are they going to get Haren without giving up Hughes or Kennedy or Joba?

Levi: They’d give up one. I’m guessing it takes Melky, Kennedy and Hughes to get Santana, plus maybe one of their minor league pitchers. What if you can keep either, especially Hughes, and get Haren?

Luke: I would say that makes more sense. I don’t think the $ has much to do with it.

Levi: No, just the fan in me who wants to see young players and doesnt wanna hear the nonsense about the Yankees buying their championships makes it an issue.

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