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The Johan Santana situation, the Twins, and Blogging with Sooze from BabesLoveBaseball

I recently contacted Sooze from BabesLoveBaseball for a Twins fan’s perspective on the latest rumors coming out of Minnesota and about how she began blogging. BabesLoveBaseball has become one of the best baseball blogs around, it has a strong following and is unquestionably unique. Sooze is one of the 4 female writers as well as one of the founders of our beloved blog. I hope you all enjoy it! Now, without further adieu, let’s get on with it already!

Pete@BaseballReflections: In your opinion, should the Twins trade, pay or just play Santana and loose him to free agency after the 2008 season?

Sooze: In my sensible, baseball-minded opinion, Johan should be traded as soon as possible for some top-tier prospects and a decent slugger.  In my homeresque opinion, the Twins should give him whatever he wants, no matter how ridiculous, so I can continue to root for the best pitcher in baseball every five games.

Pete@BaseballReflections: If he is to be traded, what rumored offers do you like best? Why?

Sooze: I really liked the Red Sox offer. I liked it with Ellsbury, I loved it with Lester. But what I really would love to see is the Twins pull off something in the ballpark of what the Tigers gave the Marlins for Cabrera and D-Train. The window of opportunity for Championships opens and closes so fast, that sometimes clubs just have to take advantage of the here and now, and worry about the future later, which is exactly what Detroit has done this offseason.

Pete@BaseballReflections: Were you concerned during the 2007 season that Santana didn’t look like the same 2nd half tyrant that he has in years past? In your opinion, was this just due to a weak run producing Twins team?

Sooze: A starter can only do so much. Technically, your team must score at least 1 run to win the game, and the Twins had a difficult time crossing the plate last season. Carlos Silva is another example of decent pitching gone awry due to a lack of run support: it’s just a sad reality for Minnesota these days. On the other hand, Johan did have a lackluster second half with an abnormally-high ERA and more losses than all of his post-All-Star runs put together. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a machine, I just think he might have spoiled us with his Cytana-like dominance in years past.

Pete@BaseballReflections: Santana did not have the typical Santana-like year. He gave up more HRs in 2007 than he normally does; likewise, his ERA was over 3.00 for the first time since 2003, and had double digit losses for the first time in his career does/did any of this concern you during the 2007 season or moving forward if they can keep him?

Sooze: It really doesn’t concern me at all. Johan gives the Twins a chance to win every time he steps foot on the hill, but he can’t go out and fan 15 batters every gtart. He needs a productive lineup behind him again — like in 2005 — to get more of those W’s.

Pete@BaseballReflections: If they trade Santana, do you think that they will trade Nathan next?

Sooze: Absolutely. I really think they have some quality set-up men (Pat Neshek and Matt Guerrier for example) just waiting to be the future Twins closer.

Pete@BaseballReflections: Do you believe them when they say that they are working on a deal to sign 1B Morneau, given all this Santana & Nathan talk?

Sooze: Not really… I don’t believe anything they say until I see it happen. Morneau signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal in February, which was nice, but this was just before they inked Mauer to a four-year, $33 million deal with the hopes of keeping Hunter and/or Santana. But it’s a whole different ballgame with Bill Smith replacing Terry Ryan, and the last thing they need is to lose one of their only power-hitters and a darn good first baseman.

Pete@BaseballReflections: With the increase in revenue that was recently reported by MLB via the commissioner, do you think the Twins will hold onto Santana in hopes that another profitable year can allow them to give Santana the extension he is loving for beyond 2008?

Sooze: One can only hope! The Twins’ payroll has increased dramatically, and with another productive season, you’d think there would be a little more wiggle room financially. However, Smith is adamantly opposed to giving any pitcher — the best in baseball or not — such an enormous, long-term contract, especially if we’re talking six years for upwards of $150 million.

Pete@BaseballReflections: What other Free Agent signings or trades would you like to see the Twins make in the remaining time this off season out side of a Santana transaction?

Sooze: Whether they let Johan go or not, the Twins need a power-hitter. I’m not talking about my  Canadian Crusher hitting 30 bombs here, I’m talking hard-lumber swinging brute force in the form of a young man no older than 25. They need a real designated hitter, and Rondell White/Jason Kubel/Jason Tyner are just not cutting it.

Pete@BaseballReflections: Why & when did you start Blogging?

Sooze: BLB started as a Myspace blog two years ago. I needed a place to rant about Brad Radke’s arm falling off, Johan’s badassery, and baseball in general. So, I chose that outlet and I think maybe only two people who felt obligated actually ever read it.

Pete@BaseballReflections: What made you think up Babes Love Baseball?

Sooze: The name actually started as an inside joke – some friends and I went to a Twins game at the Dome and we overheard some guys telling a buddy that babes like baseball, too. I blurted out, “Babes LOVE baseball!”  The rest is history, I suppose.

Pete@BaseballReflections: How do you select the other three ladies who write for Babes Love Baseball?

Sooze: I met Lizzy on Deadspin and we decided on making BLB a joint effort of random baseball news, rumors and satire. From there, we’ve been fortunate to add two hilarious and talented writers in Sarah and Melissa, who we met around the blogosphere, as well.

Thanks again Sooze!

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