Santana the Savior makes Mets NL favorite

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- While everyone else was forecasting his future, Johan Santana stayed home in Florida this offseason and let the whole crazy saga play out.

First, it seemed he was headed to the Red Sox or Yankees, where he would undoubtedly swing the American League pennant race.

Then, no, he would remain in Minnesota for one more season before becoming a free agent.

In the end, after a long winter of waiting, Santana was traded to the New York Mets for four prospects in a deal that was on hold for three days while the sides negotiated a $137.5 million, six-year contract -- record riches for a pitcher.

As talks neared the commissioner’s deadline, he flew to New York on a private plane arranged by the Mets in order to meet with ownership. Once the swap was finally completed, Santana single-handedly made his new team a National League favorite -- before he even threw a pitch.

All these expectations for one lefty with a dazzling changeup. Too much to ask, maybe?

“It’s not like I’m trying to be a hero or anything here. I’m just going to do my job,” Santana said. “This is not tennis or something else where you know that you control everything and you’re the one that has to do everything.”

Still, it’s easy to understand why he’s viewed as such a pivotal prize. Durable, dominant aces are almost as hard to find as cheap gas these days, and the 29-year-old Santana is the best of an elite bunch.

A two-time AL Cy Young Award winner (by unanimous vote in 2004 and 2006) with the cost-conscious Twins, Santana is one of just four pitchers to throw at least 200 innings with an ERA below 3.50 in each of the past two seasons.

Arizona’s Brandon Webb, Atlanta’s John Smoltz and Houston’s Roy Oswalt are the others, while Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia and John Lackey of the Los Angeles Angels came close.

But Santana is the only one of the four who has been pitching in the AL, against tougher lineups with a designated hitter.

And, by the way, he’s reached 219 or more innings with a 3.33 ERA or better for the last FOUR years, numbers unmatched by any pitcher in baseball. He also has 983 strikeouts since 2004, which is 139 more than anyone else during that span. He even won a Gold Glove last season.

“He’s the best pitcher in the game, he and Roy Oswalt,” St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said. “He’s a guy you don’t want to get two strikes down against.”

Santana’s only hiccup came late last season as he finished 1-4 in his final six starts for the fading Twins.

“A lot of people talk and had a lot of questions about me not throwing my slider. I was fine. It’s just that things didn’t work out as a team,” he said.