The LTJ Editorial: “Have we truly seen the last of Johan Santana?”

“The LTJ Editorial”
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Date: 11-8-13
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

“Have we truly seen the last of Johan Santana?”

All through my life, I've always enjoyed getting the sports jersey of my favorite players on the various teams I root for. Yeah, it's no secret, while I do cover both the New York Yankees and New York Mets, deep inside my heart, I love my Mets. Ever since 1986 when I saw the World Series trophy in the hands of guys like Strawberry, Hernandez, Gooden, etc when I was about 5 years old, I was hooked on this team. That image to this day is burned into my memory, it's the last time I ever saw any of my teams actually win a championship that I can remember. These past few years have been rough on a diehard Mets fan like me but we have our moments here and there. One amazing memory that is actually up there with that '86 championship to a degree, was the first ever no-hitter in Mets history. I'll never forget back on June 1^st, 2012 when for the first time in team history, the New York Mets FINALLY achieved a no-hitter. I watched every inning that game getting goosebumps with every successful out leading to the 9^th inning. Once it finally happened, I knew that the player who ended up bringing that elusive no-hitter to the Mets would be immortalized forever. Of course it went to one of my favorite players on the team, Starting Pitcher Johan Santana.

Some say the decision Manager Terry Collins made to keep Santana in that game potentially led to the shoulder issues that nagged him thereafter. He re-tore his shoulder capsule going into this past MLB season and ultimately needed season-ending surgery that technically stemmed from that perfect game. He missed the entire season and being at the age of 34 years old, everyone wondered if he would ever be the same again. A few weeks ago, the Mets had the decision to pick up his team option or decline it. The team ultimately made the decision to not bring him back. At the time of this editorial, he will be testing the free agency market. There is a possibility he will return to the Mets if no interesting offers are presented from other teams. There is also talk he might be presented with a new deal by the Mets that is incentive based since he is coming off surgery and a year away from MLB. It’s the first time in his career Santana will be a free agent so this is all new to him as well as Mets fans seeing his name there.

When you look at the big picture, many questions need to be answered. Can Santana be effective as a starter again next year? Since he's towards the last leg of his solid career, would there be a chance he would change pitching positions? Maybe converting to a Relief Pitcher or even a Closing Pitcher at this point of his career? Of course the big elephant in the room is would the Mets make some kind of offer to bring him back since we are down an ace? We all know Starting Pitcher Matt Harvey will be out for all of the 2014 MLB season due to Tommy John Surgery on his throwing shoulder so we have a spot open. Would it make sense to bring back an established ace to fill the void without Harvey?

Let's try to dissect all this for a moment.

In the long-term sense, bringing back Santana would be a mistake. For the short-term idea of things, perhaps a simple one-year deal as insurance would be ideal for the Mets. I still think though, this could truly have been the last time we've seen Santana wear a Mets uniform and I'll explain why. We all know the Owners of the Mets, the Wilpons, have made it quite clear they want to bring in some top notch talent to the team to make a quality season out of 2014. They want great pitching, solid defense, hard-hitting players, and gradually mix in their young amazing prospects into the majors. The Mets farm system is one of the best in baseball, especially with pitchers. The Wilpons want to make the organization and its fans know the “youth movement” is coming, no more memories of aging superstars eating away at the finances of the team. No more old players just standing around being unproductive or way past their prime. The key is to upgrade areas with established productive players through the free agency and build from within. Sadly, a player like Santana doesn't fit this criteria anymore when you think about it. He's coming off an entire year of no baseball activity and off of back to back major shoulder surgeries. It's more than likely he's seen his better days and for the Mets to bring him back would be a setback. It would seem like they're just bringing him back for namesake purposes and not for the benefit of the long-term big picture. Sure, there is that slight chance he will return and be decent but history shows that most players don't after these circumstances. They come back and easily require a few more years of re-learning the mechanics and techniques of what made them originally famous. It's not easy to say the least.

It's sad that Santana's final moments with the Mets ended this way. I don't see him returning to the team and he will end up playing somewhere else battling struggles to keep up with everything. I'll always be grateful for his contributions to the Mets as well as finally bringing that no-hitter to this franchise. I finally got to witness something other than a championship that will be remembered for generations to come. Santana pitched that in Citi Field too, you can't put a price on how awesome it all was.

The first Mets jersey I ever bought was back in 2008. When it comes to jerseys, I always take my time and think about who I want to represent. Sure, I could have easily got one of David Wright, Jose Reyes, or even Carlos Beltran since they were all awesome at the time. Something told me though, I had to get the jersey of a true warrior. Someone who exemplified greatness and extraordinary skill. A baseball player who fascinated me every single time I saw them play this sport I love so much.

I went with #57.