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The NL: To be determined

The Mets landed a huge offseason prize, but nothing is settled in the Senior Circuit.

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: March 29, 2008 - 3:39 PM

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PREDICTING NL AWARD WINNERS

MVP: Chris Young, Diamondbacks

Rookie of the Year: Chase Headley, Padres

Cy Young: Johan Santana, Mets

Manager of the Year: Lou Piniella, Cubs

Batting champ: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins

Home run champ: Ryan Howard, Phillies

Saves leader: Manny Corpas, Rockies

Comeback player: Kerry Wood, Cubs

2008 TWINS SEASON PREVIEW THE RANKING GAME

BEST OF THE CENTRAL: Where do the Twins fit into the new-look AL Central?

JIM SOUHAN: The Twins will find it tough to even reach a third-place finish.

LINEUPS: Which team packs the most punch at the plate?

PITCHING: The Indians are loaded with talent on the mound.

MANAGERS: Where does Gardy rank?

FRONT OFFICES: Bill Smith embarks on his first season as Twins GM.

DOWN ON THE FARM: Do the Twins still own the top prospects?

BASEBALL TOWN: Patrick Reusse weighs in on Central cities.

AMERICAN LEAGUE: Even the champs have some new faces.

NATIONAL LEAGUE: The Mets are holding an ace.

THE TWINS: Five questions and more.

More from Twins

PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. — New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran is not a boisterous player, but when his team acquired Johan Santana from the Twins in February, Beltran felt bold enough to dip his toe into the smack-talk circuit.

One year earlier, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had brazenly declared his club the "team to beat" in the National League East.

That proved true, when the Mets blew a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining, allowing the Phillies to steal the division title.

It was one of the greatest collapses in history, and besides losing Tom Glavine back to Atlanta in free agency, the Mets remained pretty quiet for months.

That is, until they swung the biggest deal of the offseason, grabbing Santana from the Twins for four unproven prospects.

A short time later, Beltran showed up at spring training and said, "This year, to Jimmy Rollins, we are the team to beat."

Rollins, the reigning NL MVP, didn't miss a beat, saying, "One, there are four other teams in our division who are going to make sure that doesn't happen.

"And two, has anyone ever heard of plagiarism?"

This set the tone for what figures to be a compelling three-way battle in the East. Yes, don't forget the division's recent perennial champion from Atlanta.

No matter how confident these NL East teams feel, however, none should proclaim itself the clear favorite for the NL pennant.

Throw in the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers from the Central, and up to four teams from the West -- the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers and Padres -- and nine NL teams look like potential contenders.

The Dodgers feel confident despite their surprising reluctance to enter the Santana bidding.

They are chasing two young powerhouses in the Diamondbacks and Rockies but decided to hoard their own young prospects instead of using them to obtain the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

The Dodgers tapped the free-agent market for center fielder Andruw Jones and Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.

"I think we are headed in the right direction now," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt told reporters this spring. "The L.A. Dodgers should be a team fans expect to play every October."

The Mets certainly had that expectation before choking last year. At a low point in franchise history, the Santana trade gave them new life.

"I don't want to say 'favorites' because the season hasn't started yet, but we've got a good chance," said Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, whose own late-season fade mirrored the team's. "We've got a good chance because Pedro Martinez is healthy this year, and with Johan Santana, we're going to be ready to go."

Santana should thrive in the NL. There is little reason to doubt that. And his presence atop the rotation puts less pressure on the staff if Martinez can't stay healthy or if John Maine (15-10) or Oliver Perez (15-10) fail to match their output from last season.

"Any time a team gets a player like Johan, it's something special," Martinez said. "We got somebody special, and somebody we can rely on, and somebody who has really earned all the respect people have for him."

The trouble with picking the Mets is they are stacked with injury risks.

Moises Alou, 41, is out because of a hernia. Beltran, 30, is coming off knee surgery, and so is Luis Castillo, 32, the former Twins second baseman who limped his way to a four-year, $25 million contract in November.

Slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado had hip trouble last year, and his hip flared up again this spring.

Santana still likes his new team's chances. He also hopes the deal works out for the Twins.

"Hopefully the trade they made will bring a lot of things for the whole team and happiness to the whole state [of Minnesota]," he said.

But will the Mets be happy come October? Even if they stay healthy, the Phillies, Braves and the rest of the NL will have something to say about that.