Santana Signed

The New York Mets did it with minutes to spare after negotiating an extension when they failed to get the job done by the original 5 pm deadline today. They signed Johan Santana to a seven year $150.75 million contract, which will be the largest contract ever offered for a pitcher once you factor in the option year and buyout. The numbers are staggering no matter how you look at it.

Johan Santana is a money pitcher, and the New York Mets are paying for it. Santana and the Mets agreed Friday to a $137.5 million, six-year contract, a record for a pitcher and the last major step needed to complete the team's blockbuster trade with Minnesota.

After the sides were granted an extra two hours to work on a deal, the Mets announced about 30 minutes before the new 7 p.m. EST deadline that negotiations had concluded. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was scheduled to take a physical Saturday.

Terms of the agreement were disclosed by a baseball official with knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The deal includes an $18.75 million option for 2014 with a $5.5 million buyout that could make the contract worth $150.75 million over seven seasons.

The acquisition of Santana for four prospects gives New York the durable ace it has sorely lacked while chasing a pennant the past two years.

The Mets came within one win of the World Series in 2006 despite an injury-depleted pitching staff, then missed the playoffs last season after blowing a seven-game lead in the NL East with 17 to play.

Signing Santana will definitely take some of the sting off losing the NL East, and I'm sure that Mets fans are busy doing a jig knowing that one of the premier pitchers of our generation is now signed through the prime of his career.