Thread: Royals Destroy My Dreams, Acquire Ervin Santana

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Royals have acquired RHP Ervin Santana from the LA Angels. Rumors were that the Angels were looking to deal Santana and Dan Haren, and that if they couldn't, they would likely decline their options for 2013. Well, the Royals apparently are willing to bet $13 Million that he'll turn things around in 2013. Who the Royals traded to the Angels at this point is unknown.

I thought that Santana was a great choice for a bounce-back season in 2013. If you look at his numbers, he has been very good and pretty durable most of the past five years.

So, can Santana be a bounce-back pitcher for the Royals OR will he be this year's Jonathan Sanchez?

UPDATE - The Angels acquire 27-year-old LHP Brandon Sisk, who posted a 1.35 WHIP in AAA in 2012. In other words, the Royals gave up just slightly over nothing to acquire a potential solid #2. Nice work for the Royals!

So if the Angels only required Nothing to give up Santana, does that mean they'll give up Next to Nothing for Haren should the buying team be willing to eat most of the salary?

Smart move by the Royals.

I think Haren has a 3.5 buy out. I'd be happy to give up a 20's prospect for Haren and 3.5 mill.

and we wait for the dust to settle to see what our baseball guru will produce for us ,im guessing our rotation for 2013
moyer
wakefield
kevin correia
diamond
baker/gibson

I'm not sure that I'm buying this Santana has been very good for the last 5 years business. His ERA has been bouncing between 3.50 and 5 and his XFIP has been bouncing between 4 and 4.50. He had the one great season in '08 (K:BB rates) and it looked like he was poised to become an ace. Then he hurt his elbow and has never come close to repeating those K and BB rates (velocity declined). He was a solid pickup but he really isn't that exciting.

Eh, not a bad move by the Royals but certainly nothing worth writing home about. WAR the past 4 years: 1.0, 2.2, 2.9, -0.9. He's getting paid 12 million by the Royals. Lets say he bounces back in the 2.5 WAR range, he's still getting paid at pretty much a market rate.

I thnk this a great trade for the Royals getting Santana for next to nothing. Sure they will pay most of the $13 million salary but they send a nice message to their fans telling them that they are willing to try to improve even after gettig burnt on the Jonathan Sanchez deal last winter. KC seems to be collecting pitchers.

I wouldn't call 13 million nothing. I'd rather pay Baker 9.25 million than pay Santana 13 million while giving up a C prospect.

Santana has to be ecstatic. There is no way he gets that contract as a free agent.

His pay rate is way too high and I like the salary dump for the Angels in this. I don't think this a good move for the Royals since Santana is a career 4.33 ERA pitcher. Nothing special and he's really more like a #3 option at best in terms of performance.

Agree. A little too much cash for his performance, but it might be a case of overpaying because of ack of alternatives

I presume the Royals idea is if they aren't competitive at the deadline to flip him for a better prospect then.

Getting Santana for nothing but salary is the type of move the Twins would make if ownership was serious about winning. Teams needing to put together 4/5ths of a rotation don't have the luxery of waiting for perfect solutions.

Nice move for KC, whether it works or not.

Anybody who thinks Santana doesn't represent a likely upgrade to what the Twins ran out in 2012, or wouldn't represent a probable upgrade to what they will likely run out in 2013, hasn't been paying much attention.

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Anybody who thinks Santana doesn't represent a likely upgrade to what the Twins ran out in 2012, or wouldn't represent a probable upgrade to what they will likely run out in 2013, hasn't been paying much attention.

Nobody said that.

Originally Posted by kab21

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Anybody who thinks Santana doesn't represent a likely upgrade to what the Twins ran out in 2012, or wouldn't represent a probable upgrade to what they will likely run out in 2013, hasn't been paying much attention.

Nobody said that.

But did they think it? Not everybody posts every thought they have. The person who thinks the Twins are going to sign Jamie Moyer ought to not post every crazy thought.

The Royals acquired a scuffling, but talented Sanchez last year, and that didn't work out well at all. I question the Royal's ability to spot major league arms.

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Getting Santana for nothing but salary is the type of move the Twins would make if ownership was serious about winning. Teams needing to put together 4/5ths of a rotation don't have the luxery of waiting for perfect solutions.

Sure, but the pitcher whom they acquire actually does matter. In FA they can acquire a pitcher for nothing but salary. Santana has all kinds of questions marks, and might be the wrong pitcher, even if the right type of move.

Originally Posted by PseudoSABR

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Getting Santana for nothing but salary is the type of move the Twins would make if ownership was serious about winning. Teams needing to put together 4/5ths of a rotation don't have the luxery of waiting for perfect solutions.

Sure, but the pitcher whom they acquire actually does matter. In FA they can acquire a pitcher for nothing but salary. Santana has all kinds of questions marks, and might be the wrong pitcher, even if the right type of move.

Santana was acquired for pretty much just salary as well, they really only gave up a version of Slama. The question of course is, was it good value. Acquiring a middling pitcher on a not particularly friendly contract isn't exactly an excellent move. There's a reason Santana only brought what he did, all the other teams said "Overpaid".

Sometimes you have to overpay if you want to win. Kc just got alot better.

Originally Posted by Top Gun

Sometimes you have to overpay if you want to win. Kc just got alot better.

Good lord guys, its Ervin Santana not Johan in his prime. You know the guy with a career 4.33 era. 3.0 B/9 and 7.1 K/9. Edwin Jackson will probably be signed for a similar, albeit multiyear, deal. He's also a younger, better pitcher.