Well, I knew it would happen eventually, but I wasn’t prepared for it to be the NY Mets. Actually, if Santana was to be traded at all, I’m glad it’s for a National League team. I wouldn’t feel right cheering for him as a player if he played for the Yankees and I wouldn’t feel right cheering for the Red Sox knowing that, thanks to unbalanced market shares, they took the Twins’ top performer. (And yes, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Santana was more valuable to the Twins than, say, Torii Hunter, who isn’t a Twin anymore either, or Justin Morneau, who is thankfully still around.)
Alas, it looks like 2006 really should have been the season for the Twins. Everything was in place, right up until they choked in the ALDS. And now all of those pieces are crumbling away to other teams. Such is the fate of a small market team.
At least I got to be there for Santana’s best pitching performance (as a Twin). Greatest pitching performance I’ve ever personally been in attendance for.
Edit: The New York Times has a pretty decent article about the trade and why being a baseball fan from Minnesota isn’t as easy as being one from the East Coast.