EVERYTHING'S COMING HIS WAY:

Zito deal gives 126 million reasons to expect Santana will be gone: The lefty's Giants contract means Johan Santana's price tag will be well out of reach of the Twins' budget. (Patrick Reusse, 12/30/06, Minneapolis Star Tribune)

We know now there's a possibility the Twins will have a Venezuelan with a first name pronounced Yo-haan in their rotation when the new ballpark opens in 2010, but he will not be the one to whom Minnesota fans are now attached.

Zito has signed for $18 million per year, and that means there is zero chance Johan Santana will be pitching for the Twins following the 2008 season.

Zito is excellent at what he does and has not missed a start in five seasons. His new contract is the largest ever given to a pitcher.

Santana became a full-time starter halfway through the 2003 season and has been baseball's best since then. He will turn 28 in March. If he continues that excellence through 2008 and then becomes a free agent, he will be the first $200 million pitcher.

Goodbye, Twins. Hello, New York City.

If Barry Zito is worth $140 million then Johann is worth googleplex...squared...

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 30, 2006 1:34 PM