So off goes Johan Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner and Twins ace, to the Mets for a stick of gum and some belly button lint. Why do Minnesota teams screw themselves in big-name player deals? Either in getting a star and giving away the moon (Vikings with Herschel Walker from Dallas, an eventual bust), a handful of unproven “prospects” for a megastar (Santana, Wolves with Kevin Garnett to Celtics), or a couple of mediocre players for a ‘difficult’ star (Vikings with Randy Moss to Raiders). Of course, time will tell if this deal is a good move by what Santana does in the near future, not by what these prospects do at all. If 29-year-old Santana has injuries and starts to go downhill, then it’ll be a good move. If he wins another Cy Young, and especially if the prospects never develop, then it’ll be a bust.

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune: “A team owned by a triple-billionaire who is getting a new stadium from John Q. Public refuses to pay its biggest star the going rate for a top left-hander.” Twins owner Carl Pohlad “‘could pay Santana $150 million out of petty cash,’ wrote the national editor of Forbes, which says Pohlad is the richest owner in baseball. ‘Instead of showing appreciation for the new stadium by keeping Santana and making the Twins a contender … Pohlad is giving the taxpayers the finger.’”

On the flip side…