The New York Times is reporting that the Yankees, again, are out of the Santana Sweepstakes.

“I’m very pleased,” Yankees majordomo Hank Steinbrenner
said. “We got Andy Pettitte back, and everything
I wanted to accomplish at the beginning of the
off-season has happened. We got Pettitte,
Rodriguez, Posada and Rivera back. We’ve got our
young pitchers. I’m very glad we didn’t have to
lose Hughes and Cabrera. Everything is copacetic.”

The hot rumor today was that the Angels were jumping into the Santana Sweepstakes, but GM Tony Reagins shot it down: “We have not had any discussions about starting pitching,” he said.

Unless there’s a sleeper team, it leaves the Twins to deal with the Red Sox for either Jacoby Ellsbury and prospects or John Lester and prospects. The Twins are Red Sox are expected to resume discussions tonight.

One of my hard-to-get but reliable sources told me around 7:20 p.m. that the teams were still haggling over names. Hmm.

With Miguel Cabrera’s future now determined, perhaps the Dodgers will stick a toe in the water, then a knee, then take a plunge. Perhaps the Angels are hiding the truth.

This could be another long night…

There have been some interesting developments.

The Red Sox and Twins have talked. A source close to the negotiations earlier today told me that two deals - one led by Jacoby Ellsbury and another led by Jon Lester - are in play. But there seems to be little chance that Lester and Ellsbury end up in the same deal - unless someone is changing their mind upstairs.

There are reports elsewhere that the Red Sox have pushed their offer to five players.

The source said a Red Sox official was told by a Twins official this morning that the Twins wanted this thing wrapped up today.

But…

The Angels have stepped up their interest and are expected to meet with them. The Twins are believed to like Jared Weaver as part of the deal, but you’d think that power-hitting infield prospect Brandon Wood.

The Angels don’t play around. Look at how they signed Vladimir Guerrero, trade for Jon Garland and signed Torii Hunter. This could be interesting. 

It’s been reported elsewhere that the Yankees have pulled out of the running. There’s also evidence that they have apologized for Hank Steinbrenner’s comments about Johan Santana that had the Twins screaming, “tampering!!”

The Twins, meanwhile, have cleared another spot off their 40-man roster by outrighting infielder Chris Basak to Class AAA Rochester. They now have 38 spots on their roster. Hmm.

The Twins negotiated with the Yankees and Red Sox throughout the night. I packed up around 1 a.m. and was headed for my hotel. Then I got word of this.

It could mean that the Red Sox and Twins have reached agreement on a deal involving Johan Santana.

I’ve spent the offseason speculating on names and possible transactions. When it’s time to write about the finalization of a deal, there’s no time for educated guessing. I prefer to be as certain as possible about the names involved.

Around 2 a.m. I contacted someone with knowledge of the negotiations. That person had heard that the deal was for four players: Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson. Notice that Jacoby Ellsbury is not part of the deal.

I didn’t run with it then because I really wanted to be sure. But I want to let you know this morning that’s what I’m hearing. I’m still trying to get further confirmation of the potential deal. Maybe the exchange of medicals isn’t as serious of a step as we think. Maybe a name has been switched (i.e. Rincon, Juan for Morlan, Eddie).

What makes this more difficult is that, if true, Santana’s agent, Peter Greenberg, has to swing into action and negotiate a contract extension. Until then, both the Twins and Red Sox may barricade themselves in their suites, forcing a Smokin’ Aces showdown with the media.

In this case, most of my information has come from trusted individuals from other clubs because the Twins have kept their plans, thoughts, whims and dreams hermetically sealed down here.

So save your final reactions until we make sure of the players involved.

�

I’m hearing a lot of what’s already been reported tonight at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. 

The Twins want the Yankees to add Ian Kennedy to the package of Melky Cabrera and Phillip Hughes but have been rebuffed and have gone to the Red Sox to see if Jon Lester can be added to the package of Jacoby Ellsbury and, Jed Lowrie.

It shows the Twins aren’t willing to settle for less, so you fans may have to wrap your brains around the concept that Johan Santana may not be traded, at least not right now.

That could/should lead the Yankees to Oakland’s Danny Haren or Baltimore’s Erik Bedard - I don’t care if Andy Pettitte is coming back, the Hankees (!) need a top flight starter. But the asking price for those two pitchers will be high, too.

The Mets need starting pitching as well - even if they sign Carlos Silva they’ll need more.

There’s always a chance that a team will strike out elsewhere in its attempts to land good pitching, return to the Twins and meet their price.

The lobby and bar areas at the hotel are full of people wondering what’s going on with the Santana talks. And that may be something they’ll still be asking in a few days or weeks, because this may need to play out.

Then again, all it takes is one team to say, `yes,’ to the right name.

I’m tired, but I’m going to sweep through the lobby once more before calling it a night, er, morning…

[UPDATE]: This is the last you’ll hear from me for about eight hours. There were rumblings around the lobby that the Yankees were pulling out of the Santana sweepstakes. That means nothing, for some of the reasons I mentioned above.

The Angels are not actively involved, but I was told by someone in contact that the club that they are monitoring developments. Given how the Angels traded for Jon Garland, signed Torii Hunter and signed Vladimir Guerrero with little warning shows that they know when to go all in. I’m not saying they’re about to do it with Santana - I don’t have any evidence of that - but you can’t count them out yet.�

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has either arrived in Nashville or is close to landing.

Peter Greenberg, Johan Santana’s agent, was flying to Nashville this afternoon too.

And I’ve heard that the Twins are expected to meet with both the Red Sox and Yankees sometime today. One Twins official indicated that the meetings could take place tonight.

This could be the time when the Twins determine where their two-time Cy Young award winner goes - or if he goes at all.

More than one Twins official has indicated to me that they’ve never received a hard deadline from the Yankees to accept their offer (I’m not going to name players at this point because I haven’t learned of any changes and, boy, have we thrown enough out there already?)

It’s unclear how Andy Pettitte’s decision to pitch for the Yankees in 2008 will impact talks with the Twins. 

As for the Yankees’ Hank Steinbrenner, the Twins plan to hold discussions internally - and with the league office - in the aftermath of his comments on Sunday that some with the club consider to be tampering. I’m guessing that if the Twins and Yankees swing a Santana deal that those complaints will suddenly stop.

Joe Nathan’s name has popped up in a couple trade rumors, but he said he didn’t think he was getting dealt. It’s still worth monitoring.

The Twins have signed one player to a minor league contract. It’s righthander Casey Daigle - who’s better known as Mr. Jennie Finch.