Cross your fingers that Santana’s recovery does not take as long as Nationals right-hander Chien-Ming Wang. Another pitcher that had a similar surgery back on 09/29/2009.
Turns out the Nationals announced today that Wang won’t be ready for Opening Day but hopes to be ready by late April or sometime in May. If he doesn’t make it back till May that will be about a full 20 months since he had the surgery.
Johan Santana had his surgery back on 09/14/2010 and it has been reported the Mets hope to have him back some time during the 2nd half of this upcoming season.
16 comments
saltygary
2/14/2011-5:32pm at 5:32 pm (UTC -4)
Not to hijack the post ( no one wants to dwell on this anyway MR. N ;0 ) but just listened to everyone’s favorite Buster Olney on Mad-Dog and he had an interesting take on Pujols. He said the only way the card’s sign him is if they give him exactly what he wants, a 10 year deal. He’s been the biggest player but never cracked the top ten in pay so he doesn’t feel obligated to give a hometown discount. If the Cards don’t sign him, it could be even harder to sign him due to competition from other teams regardless of cost. He was comparing it to the Bond’s signing where SF signed a guy that was known to be anti media and surely and they still were the best grossing road team in the ML during that time and got all that money back. His Mets related point he made was if the Wilpons have to sell the team and a new owner comes in why wouldn’t a new owner attempt make a splash like that. Even if he doesn’t sign it would force the Card’s hand even more.
All speculation but interesting none-nonetheless.
Prismo
2/14/2011-5:42pm at 5:42 pm (UTC -4)
Let’s see what Ike has first!
stickguy
2/14/2011-5:47pm at 5:47 pm (UTC -4)
NOt saying they should for pujols (considering all the other factors), but for some guys, you make the adjustments. Even if that means moving Ike to a new position (RF), or trading him for some pitching help or some such.
njstuckintx
2/14/2011-8:20pm at 8:20 pm (UTC -4)
+1
saltygary
2/14/2011-5:56pm at 5:56 pm (UTC -4)
Look I like rocking my Davis Jersey but I would dump it in a NY minute for a Pujols Mets one. It would probably end up being the best selling jersey ever and all owners want a piece of that.
In the end Prince would probably be a better contract. Less years and money and he seems like he can deal with media better.
njstuckintx
2/14/2011-8:20pm at 8:20 pm (UTC -4)
I think you wrote this as a valentine’s gift to Kong.
kingman 26
2/14/2011-8:26pm at 8:26 pm (UTC -4)
Prince at 1st and Ike in RF? Prince isn’t Pujols; no one is. But he is four years younger.
Sounds really good.
njstuckintx
2/14/2011-8:28pm at 8:28 pm (UTC -4)
Honestly, I wouldn’t say no. If you need to replace Reyes’ production, why not have a Prince do it?
stickguy
2/14/2011-5:43pm at 5:43 pm (UTC -4)
if he doesn’t stay in St. Louis, I hope he goes to the Cubs. Just think it would be funny to see. and I do have a sick sense of humor.
saltygary
2/14/2011-6:00pm at 6:00 pm (UTC -4)
and the Cubs still wouldn’t win. Our fanbase really has nothing on those guys.
A couple years ago I read Rob Neyer’s book of baseball blunders and one of them was the cubs hiring the “college of coaches” which was a committee of 8 managers. CAn you even imagine if something like that was done in NY? Not to mention the goat, bartman it just doesn’t end.
Mr North Jersey
2/14/2011-9:15pm at 9:15 pm (UTC -4)
“Not to hijack the post ( no one wants to dwell on this anyway MR. N ;0 )”
It’s cool Salt.
stickguy
2/14/2011-5:46pm at 5:46 pm (UTC -4)
Santana? Who knows. coming back by July and performing well would surprise, but not shock me. But, not coming back at all this year would not surprise me.
next year, hope it works out!
I have said all along you need to plan this year as if Johan does not exist, and will not be coming back. Anything he gives you will be pure gravy.
hopefully he at least can pitch by year end in some form (even if not with the Mets) so they have some reasonable idea if he will be part of th eplan (vs. just hoping like hell) for 2012.
saltygary
2/14/2011-6:07pm at 6:07 pm (UTC -4)
One question for each of the 30 teams By Tim Kurkjian
New York Mets: Is there any way they could just skip 2011?
There’s not much that this franchise, which has serious financial issues, can do until about $55 million in salary comes off the books after this season. In the meantime, the Mets will consider trading center fielder Carlos Beltran, they will begin rebuilding the farm system, they will hope ace Johan Santana has recovered enough from shoulder surgery to make an impact as early as June and they will hope more starting pitching emerges from within.
But the new regime — general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins — can’t be fairly judged until they have a new team in 2012.
saltygary
2/14/2011-6:07pm at 6:07 pm (UTC -4)
pretty consistent theme across the media world.
njstuckintx
2/14/2011-8:27pm at 8:27 pm (UTC -4)
For a team that has Wright, Reyes (in a contract year), Beltran (in a contract year), Bay, Pagan, Niese, Pelfrey and Krod, it’s not like this team has got nothing. I think i’m about glass half. Not Full. Not Empty. Just Half. Could be good, could go bad, but it certainly not the Pirates or Astros or Royals…
The media is such a group of follow the cool guy. It’s easy to pick on the nerd. And I’m sure Bill Gates reflects back on that while sipping Dom, eating fillet mignon and lobster tails while telling the (insert ethnicity here) masseuse that he prefers a little more pressure on his shoulders.
stickguy
2/14/2011-9:48pm at 9:48 pm (UTC -4)
I actually have a different perspective on the 2011/2012 debate. IMO, if they suck in 2011, 2012 is not likely to be particularly good.
my logic is that they won’t be adding a lot of high end FAs. Maybe 1? so most of the improvement will come from addition by subtraction, and primarily the existing (and continuing) guys stepping up.
so if 2011 goes south, that probably means that the nucleus is not that good after all. so why expect they are going to be that much better in 2012? Unless it is all based on the youth getting their feet wet and improving in 2012?
Am I just under estimating the moves that Sandy will make, via FA and trades? especially considering they have to replace at minimum Beltran, if not reyes too.