Santana Drives a Hard Bargain
I was fascinated to read on SI.com about Santana’s hard won contract battle. Apparently, earlier in the day he had made his views clear through his agent that he wanted $140 million. The Mets were holding to $135 million.
Santana then flew from Florida to New York to make his stance firm. He arrived, with five minutes left in negotiations, and told them that he wanted $140 million and if they couldn’t offer that, he’d have to pass.
Mets COO, Jeff Wilpon, replied:
“I’ve been in business a long time. That’s a lot of money to walk away from.”
Santana’s response was confident:
“No disrespect to you. But I deserve it. I’ll just go back and pitch and I’ll get it later.
Santana then made reference to Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid player in the game. He then asserted that he’s the best pitcher and he’s not asking for that much.
In the end, Mr. Santana got his wish. The Mets asked for a two hour extension on the negotiation to reach an agreement. Two hours later, while splitting the difference, they agreed to $137.5 million.
Hopefully, for Mets fans, he’ll be just as competitive on the field as he was at the negotiation table. For Mets tickets, feel free to buy online.
Tags: mets tickets, New York Mets, Santana
February 8th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
i think you mean he wanted 140 but the Mets offered 135 originally but yeah… he knew he had the leverage. The Mets would look like fools if they made the trade but couldnt sign him. Their fans would never forgive them and he knew that, he held the hammer and knew when to use it… good for him!