Mets Positioning For A Santana Deal?

A few days ago, I mentioned that Peter Gammons thought the Mets were stockpiling talent in preparation for a Johan Santana deal. This, he thought, may explain why the Twins have been waiting to make a deal. A couple of days ago, the Mets dealt for fourth outfielder Angel Pagan. And Pagan could theoretically replace Carlos Gomez on the Mets roster next year, should Gomez be dealt in a Santana deal.

That same day, it was reported that the Mets have interest in Athletics pitcher Joe Blanton. Could they be trying to pressure the Twins into a deal? If the Mets were to acquire Blanton, it would take them out of the Santana sweepstakes, leaving only two teams. And the true interest levels of the Red Sox and Yankees are somewhat questionable. Of all three times, I think it's fair to say that the Mets need Santana the most.

In addition to pressure from the Mets, Hank Steinbrenner appears to be applying pressure to the Twins to make a deal. On Thursday when talking about Johan Santana, Steinbrenner said, "in the next two weeks, we're going to have to get everything done." For once, I wish Hank had the slightest bit of credibility when it came to ultimatums. Maybe he actually could help to get the ball rolling. Unfortunately, Hank's believability is more like that of a car salesman than a team owner.