We keep trying to close the book on the sad Johan Santana trade of six years ago, but it's hard when new chapters keep getting written. The latest addendum: Follow the bouncing ball from the original trade that netted the Twins several players, including Carlos Gomez ... watch it flow to the Brewers, where the Twins sent Gomez for J.J. Hardy ... and watch the bouncing ball settle nicely into the gloves of Gomez and Hardy, neither of whom are still with the Twins -- but both of whom won Gold Glove awards on Tuesday.
For Hardy, a shortstop, it was his second honor after also taking home the award in 2012 with the Orioles. You'll recall that the Twins traded Hardy to Baltimore for ineffective short-term reliever Jim Hoey instead of paying him in free agency. That started the Tsuyoshi Nishioka downward spiral, so let's stop thinking about that.
For Gomez, it was his first award. His range has never been in question, but his all-around season -- .843 OPS, national prominence -- likely aided him here.
You'll remember that both Hardy and Gomez were also All-Stars this year.
We'll just have to wait and see if there are more exciting chapters to the trade.
