Twins teammates agree with Santana

By La Velle E. Neal III, Star Tribune

Last update: August 1, 2007 - 11:49 PM

One day after lefthander Johan Santana criticized the direction of the team after it failed to make a deal for a hitter, most Twins players supported their star pitcher.

Santana said the Twins' in- action might affect his decision to re-sign with the team, and outfielder Torii Hunter said he felt the same way.

"Does it make it easier for someone who's a free agent, and has been here a long time, to leave here at the end of the season?" said Hunter, a free agent after the season. "Yeah. Johan just summed it up.

"The time is now for me. And it should be for everyone else."

Twins players were disappointed that, instead of dealing for a hitter before Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline, the team traded leadoff hitter Luis Castillo because he was a pending free agent who wasn't going to be brought back.

Santana, who will be a free agent after the 2008 season, sharply criticized the team, saying he hears too much talk instead of seeing steps taken to help the team reach the playoffs this season.

"The move that was made, it's hard to see a message that's positive," Twins closer Joe Nathan said. "So there's a lot of frustration coming out. We have been close and ... some of the stuff [Santana] said was right.

"This organization also has done a lot of good things. They have made a lot of good moves, brought over some great people, developed young players very well, but everybody is not perfect."

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said Wednesday that he had not read Santana's statements but has heard about them. But he challenged Twins players to come see him if they have something they want to talk about.

"My door is open," Ryan said. "Come on up. I've always had an open door. I believe that if you have something to say, especially if it's not too positive, you ought to say that to a person's face."

If player criticism wasn't enough, State Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, said in a news release that Twins owner Carl Pohlad should do more to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the team.

"For more than a decade, we've been hearing again and again about this organization developing young talent and working toward the future," said Chaudhary. "Like Mr. Santana, I join millions of Twins fans throughout the region in wondering out loud when and if this bright future is ever going to arrive. Or is this just the latest ploy by the Pohlad family to string fans and taxpayers along while running their team on the cheap, content to contend for the playoffs every year with no real designs on competing with the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox and others in October."

Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer had a different view.

"Terry Ryan never came down and asked me why I swung at a 3-0 pitch and grounded out to third," Cuddyer said. "It's not my job to make trades or say trades are bad."

Ortiz expects Santana to leave

After hearing of Santana's frustation over the team's direction, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz told the Boston Globe on Wednesday that he expects Santana to leave the Twins as a free agent following the 2008 season.

"You know what ? All the time I was with the Twins I don't remember us picking up anybody at the trading deadline. Ever," Ortiz said. "So, this guy [Santana] is a gamer, I gotta think he's mad about it. Every team at this point needs something, so when he sees they're not getting anything, he gets upset."

That's why Ortiz said he thinks Santana will leave.

"He will," Ortiz said. "I guess he will. First of all, they're not going to pay him what he can get. You know that. Everybody knows that. That's not news. And second of all, look at what he just said. Hopefully we get the chance to mess him up. That would be interesting. He'd love to come here, I tell you that. Homeboy coming back to his homeboy. It'll be interesting to see where those guys [Santana and Hunter, a prospective free agent this winter] go."

Etc.

• Royals manager Buddy Bell announced before the game that he would step down at the end of the season. Bell, 54, who had cancer surgery last year, said he's fine but wants to spend more time with family.

•Twins outfielder Rondell White spent Wednesday afternoon with his wife, who was dealing with a medical situation. He was expected to be on the bench by game time.

La Velle E. Neal III • lneal@startribune.com