<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RealGM)</div><div class='quotemain'>SI.com - Johan Santana had informed the Mets earlier last Friday that he wanted $140 million over six years. The Mets were holding firm at $135 million. Santana flew from his Florida home to New York and joined negotiations in Wilpon's office at about 2 p.m. At 4:55 p.m. -- five minutes before the Major League Baseball-mandated deadline -- Santana told Jeff Wilpon that he was leaving and was prepared to pitch one more year for Minnesota before becoming a free agent. Mets' Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon, General Manager Omar Minaya, and Vice President Tony Bernazard were among those in attendance. "I told you I wasn't backing off my number," Santana told Fred Wilpon. "I appreciate your offer, but I'm passing on it." Wilpon replied, "I've been in business a long time. That's a lot of money to walk away from." "No disrespect to you," Santana said. "But I deserve it. I'll just go back and pitch, and I'll get it later. Alex Rodriguez is the highest paid player in the game. I'm the best pitcher. I'm not even asking for that [Rodriguez] kind of money."</div> http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writ...tana/index.html And now, I die a little on the inside. They ended up goin right down the middle, at $137.5 mil. Oh, how I wish Johan didn't budge one bit from $140 mil. Sheesh.
Sad that his attitude is pretty much money first. 5 mil seperated two different cities. One which helped him build his name and one with the money. Does anyone do anything for there teams anymore?
