Finally…some baseball news not related to Roger Clemens.

The Minnesota Twins agreed to deal Johan Santana to the Mets on Tuesday for four top prospects (outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey). The deal, if completed (contingent on Santana waiving a no-trade clause and agreeing to a contract extension and passing a physical), will not only impact the real pennant races, but also will provide intrigue to the fantasy baseball season.

Santana is arguably the most dominant pitcher in the game, sporting a plus fastball with a devastating change. Over the past four years, he has reached the 200 inning plateau every year and has struck out no less than 238 batters. His average WHIP over that time is an incredible 0.99, and his strikeouts have remained consistent, a key stat to look at when drafting fantasy pitchers (it has been statistically shown than when strikeouts decrease, a pitcher’s skill-level is diminishing).

The move to the National League should also help Santana. He will get to face weaker lineups than he saw in the AL Central, and he will be avoiding the designated hitter. Just take a look at his ridiculous career stats against the National League in inter-league play: 16-4, 182.2 IP, 2.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 191 K.

Add to that his potential home ballpark, Shea Stadium has spacious gaps, and just like in Minnesota, he has what every pitcher desires, a centerfielder in Carlos Beltran, who has tremendous range.

Barring injury, expect at-the-least for Santana to have a typical season, 18 W, 230 IP, 250 K’s, a WHIP around 1.00, which garners the number one spot when drafting pitchers in a mixed (AL & NL) or NL-only fantasy baseball league. In AL-only fanstasy leagues, C.C. Sabathia, Josh Beckett, and Erik Bedard will be the top choices for starting pitchers.

However, one other thing not to forget is the move to the Big Apple, from small-market Minnesota. The pressure will be doubled if not quadrupled, and this could also play a role in his performance (remember Randy Johnson). Nonetheless, expect Santana to have a tremendous season with gaudy numbers.

Derek Rang

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