Mets win Santana Sweepstakes

According to media reports, The New York Mets reached a tentative deal with the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday that would send ace Johan Santana to Queens for four players.

The Twins requested a "final offer" from the Mets on Tuesday and later accepted a proposal that would send outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Deolis Guerra to Minnesota.

The deal is pending Santana's physical and the Mets reserve the right to nullify the trade if they cannot lock the ace up in a long-term contract.

Santana's biggest suitors this winter included the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Neither team was able to pull the trigger on a deal because they felt Minnesota's asking price for the 2-time Cy Young Award winner was steep.

Notably missing from the trade was Mets prospect outfielder Fernando Martinez. An agreement may have been reached sooner, but the Mets adamantly refused to include Martinez and Gomez together in a deal.

The Twins were eager to deal Santana because his contract expires at the end of next season and they could not afford to re-sign him. Minnesota also lost All-Star center-fielder Torii Hunter to free agency.

The deal makes the Mets the immediate favorite in the National League East and World Series contenders.