According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the sticking point in the Red Sox acquiring ace Johan Santana seems to be whether or not they’d be willing to give up young centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
While no deal appeared imminent, there were indications that in their talks with the Red Sox, the Twins were focused on a package headlined by center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
The Red Sox have offered Ellsbury and pitcher Jon Lester in separate deals, while refusing to include both in the same offer.Of those two options, the Twins were said to be leaning toward a package of Ellsbury, infield prospect Jed Lowrie and relief prospect Justin Masterson, with the sides haggling over a fourth player.
If Boston winds up caving and includes Ellsbury and/or Lester for Santana, aren’t they mortgaging their future a bit assuming they’d have to give up multiple young prospects (including at least one major league-ready prospect)? At the trade deadline last year, they gave up a promising starter in Kason Gabbard for Eric Gagne (what a sweet deal that turned out to be) and now might have to part with Lester, too. I’m certainly not comparing Gagne to Santana, but Curt Shilling and Tim Wakefield aren’t going to pitch forever and the Sox are going to need some young guns down the road.
