Johan’s Hundred Million Dollar Dream: Yanks Call Out Own Bluff, Decide To Re-Enter Race

Ever since the Boston Red Sox decided to wrest the “Team Everyone Outside Its City Lines Loves To Hate” title from the Yankees, the Bombers have been feverishly trying to reclaim the belt. Not only are they trying to land prize pitcher Johan Santana, but they’ve been throwing around that pinstripe bombast even after they said they’d dropped out of the race. Hank Steinbrenner, taking over for his mentally departed dad, George, has said the Twins know the Yankees have made the best offer for Santana and Minnesota would be fools—Fools!—to listen to anyone else.

After what he described as a “slow holiday season” for baseball business, Hank Steinbrenner is returning to his office Thursday to begin working on “a final decision” regarding a trade for Johan Santana. And he believes the Yankees have made the top offer for the Minnesota ace.

“I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday in a telephone interview. “I feel confident they’re not going to trade him before checking with us one last time and I think they think we’ve already made the best offer.”

“I think they think”? Man, when you’re trying to get a team to give up their Cy Young pitcher for Melky Cabrera, among other things, anything goes; even a little bit of double-back-talk.
Yanks: We have shot at Johan Santana [NY Daily News]
Image [Getty]