Sorry if this blog has turned into a “bash the Rangers with a Met related angle” lately, but I couldn’t hold off on this one. John Heyman on a deal that almost was with Johan Santana and the Texas Rangers:

Indications are that Texas’ trade discussions with the Twins progressed to the point where there was either agreement or near agreement on the young players going back to Minnesota. At that point, executives involved in the talks believed that the trade was very likely to be consummated if only Santana gave a more enthusiastic response when Twins higher ups quizzed him about whether he’d accept a trade to the Rangers. However, a diplomatic Santana is believed to have told the Twins only that he’d “consider” going to Texas, an answer that was seen as less than enthusiastic.
It was shortly after receiving Santana’s lukewarm response that the Twins stopped pursuing the trade with Texas. People familiar with the talks say they believe Minnesota wanted to avoid agreeing to a trade proposal that could eventually be rejected by Santana, whose full no-trade clause put the power in his hands. Such a scenario could have hurt their leverage in future trade talks.
Word is, Santana actually thought about the Rangers long enough to have quizzed his long-time Twins teammate Torii Hunter, a free agent, about his own intentions. But it appears that when Hunter, a resident of Prosper, Texas, and close friend of Rangers manager Ron Washington, was noncommittal about whether he’d sign with the Rangers (he eventually signed with the Angels), Santana appears to have followed Hunter’s lead.

I’m taking a day off work to attend the “We almost had Santana and Hunter Parade” scheduled in downtown Arlington. Tom Hicks is scheduled to ride the main float posed with his pockets turned out, shrugging his shoulders and sporting a perplexed look on his face.

Tom Hicks also shot and killed Jose Canseco for his role in bringing steroids into the Ranger clubhouse. Hicks didn’t have a gun and Canseco isn’t dead, but Hicks shot him dead just the same. That’s a true story.

Whatever, this is obvious spin out of The Ballpark in Arlington. Every year, the Rangers were hours away from signing or trading for the year’s biggest free agent until some selfish player queered the deal. The Ranger organization never had any intention to put a competitive offer in front of Torii Hunter, let alone trade prospects [read: low-priced talent] and sign Santana to the six to seven year, hundred and fifty-ish million dollar deal required for Santana to waive his no trade clause.

Every year, how do they seem to be in the running, without ever being in the running, for the year’s top free agent? Yet the team that touts its bronze medal in the Zito and Dice K sweepstakes still cries foul over “big market teams” pricing out the poor Rangers? Never mind Dallas Fort Worth is a top five market and the Cowboys and Mavericks seem to have no problem competing for top tier talent. Why the Ranger front office leaks hand-wringing stories of lament like this year after year in a pathetic and feeble attempt to appease an already unreceptive and resentful fan base goes beyond reason. As if Texans sweating out an August day game, watching a last place ball club will take solace that they could have had Santana and Hunter if it wasn’t for those damn Angels and Mets.

Furthermore, the Rangers supposed focus on developing young talent and fortifying the farm system runs counteractive toward trading high ceiling talent in order to sign a high priced free agent and diminishes the organization’s already dismal credibility with both fans and prospective players and trading partners.