The Twins are reportedly interested in a reunion with two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, but they are going to have plenty of competition to sign him.
Confirming reports from last month, Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger hears that the Yankees are among several teams monitoring the progress of Santana. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reported earlier this week that at least a dozen teams have checked in.
Santana is currently rehabbing from his second anterior capsule surgery. The veteran southpaw has yet to throw off a mound this winter, but he could audition for scouts near his home in Fort Myers, Florida before spring training. He’ll turn 35 in March.
The Yankees are focused on Masahiro Tanaka at the moment, but they’ll likely need to add another starting pitcher if he ends up signing elsewhere. McCullough hears that the team’s interest in Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana is limited, so Santana could be worth the gamble if he looks good during his throwing sessions. That’s obviously far from a given at this stage.