The big Red Sox news, of course, is their pursuit of Twins ace and two time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. Reports are that the Sox are offering a package including some combination of Coco Crisp, Jon Lester and a group of minor league prospects that could include shortstop Jed Lowrie and pitcher Justin Masterson. Pitching prospect Michael Bowden has also been mentioned.

The Sox appear to be unwilling to include either Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury. Short of those two guys, I would give up any combination of the others. You don't have a chance to get a top of the line lefty who isn't even 29 yet like Santana too often. With him and Beckett at the top of the rotation, the Sox would be a World Series contender for years.

The Yankees are in the hunt, too, and have reportedly offered up Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera, among others. Obviously, it would be a double win if the Sox could get Santana and keep him away from the Yankees.

Would I include Ellsbury or Buchholz in a deal for Santana? Definitely, not Ellsbury. He looks like he could be the Sox center fielder for the next decade or more, and has proven himself at the tail end of the regular season and the playoffs. Buchholz I would be more tempted to trade in the right deal, just because pitching is less certain in going from potential to actual. There's no way the Twins are getting both Lester and Buchholz, though.

The Winter Meetings are coming up, and there's a chance this could be resolved there.