On The Block:  Ervin Santana

Why He’s On The Block:  One of the most talented young pitchers in the game, Santana is in the unique position of being the most movable pitchers available.  Santana still has four years of cheap control left on him and because of his talent, Santana is highly coveted.  Because the Angels need a big bat and because of the fact that there are long term commitments to Kelvim Escobar, Bartolo Colon, and John Lackey, plus with the Weavers and Joe Saunders in the mix, Santana is pretty expendable, even though it would be in the Angels’ best interest to keep him.

Negotiable:  No.  GM Bill Stoneman is very shrewd (even if it is to a fault) and will make sure that they get nothing less than a quality bat in return.

What He Offers:  Here’s what Santana can offer:.

·          Plus:  Great stuff.

·          Plus:  Is showing the ability to become a solid workhorse in the rotation.

·          Plus:  Has high strike rates.

·          Plus:  Still has years of control left.

·          Minus:  High strikeout totals.

·          Minus:  Gives up way too many hits.

He Stay Or Will He Go:  55% chance of him staying, only because Stoneman is stingy to a fault, which has cost the Angels a few times on the trade market.  If he does make a move, most likely forced by Artie Moreno, here’s where I can see Santana going.

·          Tampa Bay Devil Rays – 40%.   Adding Santana would be a jolt to the Tampa rotation, giving them a solid one-two punch with Scott Kazmir as the ace of the rotation with Santana in the two slot.  Plus, if the Devil Rays could get Brandon Wood, they would shift BJ Upton to the outfield and have their shortstop of the future in the wings as well.  The problem is that such a trade would cost the Devil Rays Carl Crawford, a valuable player.  Will I think it’ll happen?  No.  Stoneman again, is frugal to a fault.  And this could cost him in the future.

·          Milwaukee Brewers – 30%.  I mention the Brewers because of the fact that they have just what the Angels need: a big bat.  Carlos Lee is in the final year of his contract and could be dealt straight up for Santana.  This would be a quick and painless deal.  The Angels would get their offensive help and the Brewers would get a good young pitcher to help bolster a rotation that has been inconsistent as hell.  Unfortunately, I doubt that both sides have thought about this mutually beneficial deal, making it unlikely that it will happen.

·          Washington Nationals – 20%.  A long shot, to say the least, because of the fact that the Angels don’t want to be on the take for the rest of Soriano’s contract or give up significant prospects in return.  Washington would seek Santana, plus shortstop Brandon Wood and maybe catcher Jeff Mathis, now back in Triple A.  The Angels, long having been stingy with their prospects, will balk at the deal, even though Soriano has not only great power, but he’s also got the speed sorely needed in one of the slowest lineups in baseball.  Plus, Soriano has played in the American League West and is familiar with the pitchers and offenses there, making him valuable. 

·          Cincinnati Reds – 10%.  Here’s another deal that no one is talking about.  The Reds do have a big bat they could send back to the Angels: Ken Griffey Jr.  Because Junior isn’t reliable enough to play center, the Angels could offer to swap prospects for the slugging centerfielder, who seems to have rebounded from his earlier injury history to become an All-Star again.  Plus, Junior is a huge name and would bring people to the ballpark.  Here’s the problem though.  Junior has to approve any trade, and has thus far shot down any attempts to trade him.  Here’s another.  Junior still has years left on that monster contract of his.  It’s too bad, as the Reds could use another pitcher and Santana would be a good pickup, even if it’s at the expense of eating most of Junior’s contract.

End Result – Remains with the Angels.