The Gamblin' Mets

Does one player really transform a team from the 2007 version, whose final curtain call was an epic Eastern Division collapse, to the 2008 version to which Las Vegas odds-makers have made the favorite to represent the National League in the World Series? There is no doubt that Johan Santana could be that player to the New York Mets. His statistics are undeniable and there is no doubt that almost any baseball analyst will tell you that they wouldn't be sweating too much if he was their Game 1 starter in October. But there will be people who say that 2007's subpar year wasn't an anomaly and that while Santana might not be past his prime, he sure isn't going to get much better than what we've already seen. The Mets, however, are willing to bet about $150 million (and some fairly touted prospects) that he can shake off a bad year, in a bad situation, and return to the form that scored him two Cy Young awards in three years.

Imagine for a second that Santana was part of the 2007 team that went 5-12 down the stretch as they watched that 7 game lead turn into a 1 game deficit on the final day of the season. That's 17 games. For arguments sake, lets say that Santana started 2 of those 12 losses. And lets say he wasn't even perfect. It would still be difficult to convince many people that Santana would lose both of those games to the likes of the Florida Marlins and the Washington Nationals. We're talking about a dominant, young, aggressive hurler that already sports a .633 winning percentage and a 3.22 career ERA. And if the Mets held on to make the playoffs, well then you can wonder what would be in a short series with Santana, Pedro Martinez, and John Maine. I suppose that might actually sound as silly as when some think that the midges are the reason the New York Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians in last year's playoffs, but you might just get to see what that trio can do this October.

Actually, one could argue that the Yankees actually made out pretty well in the Santana deal, too.