Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos had some interesting comments about Ervin Santana after the free agent right-hander turned down a similar offer from the Blue Jays to sign a one-year, $14.1 million deal with the Braves today.
John Lott of the National Post passed along Anthopoulos’ quotes from this morning’s appearance on Sportsnet 590 radio in Toronto, which included the GM saying that Santana had little interest in pitching in the American League and the right-hander’s decision “was not money, was not years.”
“We’re in the American League,” Anthopoulos said. “Guys that don’t want to be in the American League, there’s nothing we can do.”
Santana has spent his entire career in the AL pitching for the Angels and Royals, so it’d probably be a stretch to suggest he’s scared of spending another season in the same league he’s already spent nine years. And looking at things from Santana’s point of view it’s tough to blame him for trying to build up future value pitching in the NL East instead of the AL East. That’s just logical, rather than some sort of test of manhood. None of which makes his decision any less frustrating for Anthopoulos and the Blue Jays, of course.