Bill Smith is not afraid to trade Johan Santana. Nor is he afraid to hold on to him for as long as possible. The Minnesota Twins rookie general manager with Portsmouth, N.H., roots has been through a few rebuilding programs in his 22 years in the organization, and though he is new to the job of general manager, there's a good chance that neither Mr. Epstein, Mr. Minaya, nor Mr. Cashman is going to snooker this Winnacunnet High grad.
Smith has played it close to the vest with the Santana trade talks. He realizes he has the most valuable commodity in baseball in a two-time Cy Young Award winner, still only 29 years old. While he fully acknowledges that he's more of a baseball administrator than a scout or judge of talent, what he's heard from the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox so far doesn't compel him to trade. If you want Santana, you'll have to show Smith how much you want him.
He has a captive and affluent audience in those teams. They all have a ton of money and they all have prospects to give. But for many weeks now Smith has held out for that final piece. The other component in the deal is Santana's signability, but given the resources of all three teams, they wouldn't be in this if they couldn't pay the bill.
Smith's first season on the job will be a trying one, as he follows Terry Ryan, who stepped down after 12 years on the job leaving a legacy as one of the top executives in the game. Ryan is now one of Smith's prime talent evaluators and advisers, and Smith will rely heavily on him and others when weighing offers for Santana.
Already this offseason, Smith saw center fielder Torii Hunter leave in free agency (five years, $90 million from the Angels). Smith made offers to both Hunter and Santana, but neither was willing to take the hometown discount. Some would say Smith has been put in a tenuous position right off the bat, but he doesn't see it that way.
"It's a dream job," Smith said. "I think anyone who has worked in baseball operations aspires to this job, and I'm no different. I was proud to be an assistant to Terry Ryan for so many years. We had a superb front office that also included Wayne Krivsky [now GM of the Reds], and I think we have had an excellent organization with great scouts and a great minor league system, and those are the things we hope we continue."
Smith was around for past defections - from Jeff Reardon to Frank Viola to Gary Gaetti to Tom Brunansky. He was around for the dismantling of the champion 1991 team. Yet he's also seen players such as Kirby Puckett and Brad Radke spend their entire careers in Minnesota because they loved it there.
"We've had to turn our roster over every four or five years," Smith said. "We've been down this path. We're not afraid to do it. We have faith in our scouting and our farm system to produce talent that if we reach that point, we do it.
"It's a continuing process. It's just a fact of life in our market, and we have to do the best we can to find new talent."
Smith's New Hampshire roots go back to the fifth grade when his father was stationed there with the Coast Guard. They had come from Virginia and California, but Portsmouth is where Smith grew up. He was there through high school before leaving to attend Hamilton College in Utica, N.Y.
"We loved New Hampshire," Smith said. "My dad was actually transferred a couple of times but he made the ultimate sacrifice of keeping his family in one place, and Portsmouth was the place. My dad would commute from New York City just so we could have some stability and stay home.
"We had a great time growing up there. For our family, it was perfect. We had so much enjoyment as kids. Home is Portsmouth, and my greatest memories are from growing up there."
But he will give the Red Sox no special dispensation when it comes to Santana. The feeling across baseball is that when there's a feeling of desperation by the teams involved to get something done, the deal will happen right before or during spring training.
The Red Sox fan base seems to want to keep the kids the organization has been touting for some time. Trading them for Santana would fly in the face of what we've been hearing all winter about the prime prospects.
The Yankees want to go with their young pitchers - at least Brian Cashman does - but some experts don't see how having Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes, and Ian Kennedy in the rotation could work, considering that most young pitchers can't go more than 160-170 innings. The Yankees are willing to give up the exciting Melky Cabrera, Hughes, and another prospect, but not Kennedy. In the end, though, they may succumb to the pressure of needing to do something.
The Mets, absent a No. 1 starter, need Santana the most. Omar Minaya is really trying here, and he will give up one of his two promising outfielders (Carlos Gomez or Fernando Martinez) as well as some combination of pitchers Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey.
It's a lot for this Winnacunnet High grad to mull over.
Just getting warmed up
A few questions for Red Sox righthanded pitching prospect Justin Masterson.Hear a lot of Derek Lowe comparisons?
JM: "I've been hearing that a lot lately. I know he's a sinker-baller like myself but he's more of a short-armer. Mechanically, it's hard to compare me to him. For myself, I love watching Brandon Webb. He's got the real strong sinker, too. He's a little bit longer mechanically. I'm not trying to be like anybody else, but I watch how he goes about his business. Another guy I watch is Chien-Ming Wang, even though he's with the Yankees. I just watch how he sets up hitters."
Do you see yourself as a starting pitcher?
JM: "I just see myself pitching. I enjoy starting and I've loved it for most of my life. I closed when I played on the Cape a few years ago and that was crazily exciting. There's a little more downtime sometimes, but when your team is doing well, you're going to be coming into a clutch situation. I'm really open to anything."
What do you want to show them in big league camp?
JM: "That my changeup is there, I can throw it whenever I want. I'm not gonna kill myself, because wherever I go, I still have to make progressions, so I'm not going to hurt my arm to turn some heads. I definitely want to show them how I go about my business and turn their heads a little bit and maybe tie their hands."
What are your interests off the field?
JM: "I love music. I play guitar and drums. When I was home, I'd play in our church worship band. I love hanging out with my wife; we got married Nov. 3. I love to read and just be outside."
Your dad was a minister in Ohio. It seems your faith is very important to you?
JM: "I grew up with it. I made the decision to follow Jesus Christ. Of course, I had to go to church, but they never forced me to do anything beyond that. It's what I prefer to do now in my own life."
Catcher Brown seems to be
moving himself into position
Suddenly, the Red Sox' catching future doesn't look so bad. In fact, they have a bit of a dilemma coming up. Dusty Brown appears to have emerged as their most major league-ready catcher, but he'll likely start the year at Pawtucket, where the Sox also have George Kottaras and Kevin Cash.Farm director Mike Hazen acknowledged that there has been discussion about using Kottaras, a former infielder, at another position from time to time just to get everyone at-bats. Or they could DH one of them.
"There are things I can improve on defensively," said Brown. "Offensively is where I need the most improvement. That is coming around. It's a matter of time and of putting it together at once and on a consistent basis."
Brown has tried to soak up everything he can from Jason Varitek. He has spent time with Varitek each of the last two training camps and will hook up with him again in February.
"I know him well," said Brown. "I have a good relationship with him. It's amazing to me the things I've watched him do that I've tried and later on I'll realize how much that particular thing helped me.
"But his work ethic, especially in spring training, is incomparable. I just try to keep up and see if I can keep up with him, and if I am, I feel like I'm putting forth the right effort."
In the minors, players don't have anywhere near the resources in terms of scouting reports available to them that major leaguers do.
"As far as the way [Varitek] prepares for a game, it's something I probably won't be able to compare to until I get the resources to every game," said Brown. "The way he uses it and prepares for a game is uncanny.
"I do as much as I can. We get some scouting reports, but we do have video in Pawtucket and this year I'll take advantage of that as much as I can."
Brown, 25, who has been in the organization since 2000, spent most of last season at Double A Portland, where he hit .260 with 9 homers and 46 RBIs in 77 games. He also played eight games for Pawtucket.
Though he feels he's getting closer to the big leagues, Brown said, "It still seems a mile away. Deep down I know how close it really is. I don't want to think about it too much because I don't want to think I'm there when I'm really not there."
Etc.
Touching the basesApropos of nothing: 1. Lots of support for Jerry Trupiano to return on Red Sox broadcasts to replace the departed (to the Marlins) Glenn Geffner; 2. Cardinals right fielder Juan Encarnacion, who suffered severe damage in his left eye when hit by a foul ball last year, likely will not play this season; 3. An overwhelming ovation by more than 1,000 fans at the Boston Baseball Writers dinner Thursday reinforced the idea that Mike Lowell might be the most popular Sox player in recent memory; 4. A Japanese scout tells me 18-year-old righty Kenta Suda, recently signed by Seattle, throws 95 miles per hour - and that could increase when he matures; 5. Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson is beaming over his brand-new teeth.
A great Scott for Toronto
Terry Francona managed Scott Rolen in Philadelphia, so he knows the Blue Jays just got better by swapping Troy Glaus to the Cardinals for him. "Scott is one of the best I've seen," said Francona. "The way he chews up ground, his instincts. He can will himself to almost every ball. From our standpoint, I hope his arm has changed a little - tell him I said so. He's a good kid. I hope this is a fresh start and he is healthy." Lowell, whose Marlins used to share a spring training site with Rolen's Cardinals, said, "He's almost a shortstop playing third, and a rocket for an arm."
Coming attraction
One of the young Sox players to watch in spring training camp is Argenis Diaz, 21, who is said to be a very exciting defensive shortstop. We're expected to be in awe of his natural ability. "His defensive ability right now is certainly ahead of his offensive ability," said farm director Mike Hazen. "Great action in the field. Just a naturally born shortstop. I think our goal from a development point of view is to speed up that offensive side. Any impact shortstop has to be a good offensive player at the major league level, especially in the American League." The Sox decided to protect the Venezuelan Diaz on the 40-man roster out of Greenville (Single A) because of his potential. That's earlier than usual but Hazen didn't want to risk losing him.
The advice column
When Reds owner Bob Castellini hired Walt Jocketty, it continued a trend of experienced baseball people being retained as advisers. The pressures on GMs are at an all-time high, and they need someone in a senior capacity to aid in the decision-making process. You're likely to see the same type of hirings down the road with the Yankees, Mariners, Astros, Giants, and even Dodgers. The Astros really need it; their franchise is in turmoil. After making the Miguel Tejada deal, they find out he was not only in the Mitchell Report but is now under investigation by the FBI. They also have a personal services contract with Roger Clemens and must decide whether he'll work with their farm system in the face of all the steroid allegations.
Influx of talent
The Rockies have really begun to make a dent in Latin America. Last year, they handed out six-figure signing bonuses to four young Dominican players who are flourishing. The emphasis really began in 2000 with Ubaldo Jimenez and 2001 with Franklin Morales. Since then, they've signed prospects such as shortstops Hector Gomez and Jon Herrera, pitchers Pedro Strop, Esmil Rogers, Aneury Rodriguez, Juan Morillo, Samuel Deduno, and Jhoulys Chacin, and second basemen Daniel Mayora and Everth Cabrera. Now they are turning their attention to Japan.
Bad break for Twins
Twins GM Bill Smith was very disappointed to learn that pitching prospect Jose Mijares broke his left (pitching) elbow in a one-car crash in Venezuela when he fell asleep at the wheel. Mijares is a 40-man roster player and throws hard (sound familiar?). He was 5-3 with a 3.54 ERA in Double A New Britain last season and had a 1.86 ERA in 37 games in the winter league in Venezuela. Last year, it was Francisco Liriano's Tommy John surgery, and with a Johan Santana deal looming, Mijares was a young pitcher the Twins looked forward to having on the horizon.
Extra bases
A few quick things: There will be a SABR meeting at the Baseball Tavern near Fenway Park from 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. tomorrow. Bill James, some Baseball Prospectus folks, and other baseball brainiacs will be on hand . . . Looking forward to attending the Brockton Rox Hot Stove banquet next Friday night at the Shaw's Center in Brockton, where Jim Rice will be honored . . . Happy 33d birthday, David Eckstein.
Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com
