Felix & Johan together as M's: Is it but a dream?

We'll start today with a dream, a premature flight of hot-stove fancy, based on little more than conjecture and creativity. But plausible conjecture, and enticing creativity.

Cutting to the chase: How about Johan Santana teaming up with countryman Felix Hernandez next season to form the best one-two pitching punch in baseball?

Just for the heck of it, let's conjure up a scenario. This is not sanctioned in any way by the Mariners or the Twins, and any rebroadcast or retransmission without the expressed written consent of the commissioner of baseball will forfeit your right to shake his hand when you break the home-run record.

You might have noticed that Santana, the best pitcher in baseball, is not happy these days. Not one bit.

Santana, whom the Mariners will mercifully miss when they open a three-game series at the Metrodome Monday, popped off when the Twins not only failed to add a needed bat at the trade deadline but dealt veteran second baseman Luis Castillo to the Mets.

Santana apparently sees an organization that is not committed to winning (even though it has done more winning in the last five years than just about anyone — four division titles from 2002-06).

"I'm not surprised. That's exactly how they are. That's why we're never going to go beyond where we've gone," Santana vented to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

There was more, much more, but Santana concluded his rant with this kicker that sent shivers through the Twin Cities: "Why waste time when you're talking about something that's always going to be like that? It's never going to be beyond this point. It doesn't make any sense for me to be here, you know?"

Santana's future in Minnesota is already a terrifying topic for Twins fans. He will be a free agent after the 2008 season. The Twins are a notoriously frugal team, even though their owner, Carl Pohlad, might be the richest man in baseball.

In case you hadn't noticed, the price of pitching has taken an upturn — or do the names Barry Zito (seven years, $126 million) and Carlos Zambrano (five years, $91.5 million) escape you?

Santana is a better pitcher than either of them (light years, in Zito's case), left-handed, 28 years old, and a prince of a guy. Whenever and wherever he signs, he will set new standards. Think $20 million a year — as a starting point.

That's not Twins territory — never has been, and probably never will be, even with a new stadium on the way in 2010.

They are a team that has thrived on brilliant scouting by general manager Terry Ryan and his staff that keeps pumping in the talent — a Justin Morneau here, a Joe Mauer there, a Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano stolen from the Giants. Oh, and a Johan Santana acquired from Florida, via Houston, in the Rule 5 heist of the millennium in 1999.

The Twins, however, are facing a huge dilemma.

They can try to sign Santana, but the more time passes, the more Santana can smell impending free agency and the payday of a lifetime.

They can keep him for next season and try to win it all with a pitching staff that would be dynamite if Liriano comes back strong from Tommy John surgery. If things fall apart on the field and at the negotiating table, they could always trade him at the July 31 deadline.

You know — the same options the Mariners faced this season with Ichiro, whom they wound up signing just after the All-Star break. The Mariners had ownership willing to spend what it took to keep their franchise face. Twins ownership is trying to figure out how to keep not only Santana, but Torii Hunter (free agent after this season) and Nathan (free agent after next season), not to mention Morneau and Mauer, coming up fast to free agency.

The Twins' other option, of course, is to make a full-court press this November to sign Santana. And if that fails, trade him during the offseason to maximize their return and retool the franchise. And this is where our scenario picks up steam.

To review, we have a disgruntled Santana who seems to already have a foot out the door, sure to ask for the moon from a team that can't even afford an asteroid. A team that, on the other hand, desperately wants to maintain Santana for the opening of the new ballpark, which has been all but demanded by taxpayers who funded it after years of legislative battles.

Therein lies the dilemma for Terry Ryan. I think he will probably bite the bullet and keep Santana at least to start the 2008 season.

A rotation of Santana-Liriano-Matt Garza-Scott Baker-Kevin Slowey, with Nathan and Pat Neshek in the bullpen, could be among the best staffs in baseball. Maybe the Twins go all the way, Santana's disgust is swept aside in the title euphoria, and in a fit of largesse he gives the Twins enough of a hometown discount to finesse, say, a five-year, $100 million deal.

Or, just maybe, Santana's people tell Ryan this winter that he's out of here after 2008, no matter what they offer. And just maybe Ryan decides to make the best pitcher in baseball open for bidding, and waits to see what happens.

A feeding frenzy is what will happen. Teams would prepare to empty their farm system for the great Santana. And I would heartily recommend that the Mariners jump in with whatever it takes — short of Hernandez.

Which could be a large chunk of their perceived future. Adam Jones. Brandon Morrow. Wladimir Balentien. Jeff Clement. Ryan Feierabend. No doubt they would all be in play, in some combination. Or maybe other top prospects, and/or some of their young regulars. To the credit of Bill Bavasi and Bob Fontaine, the Mariners' player development system has progressed to the point that they could forge an attractive package of blossoming talent.

Such a no-holds-barred strategy is not without risks, of course. Santana would be, in essence, a rent-a-player. The worst-case scenario is he stays for a year, the team falls short of the postseason, and Santana walks away, leaving only compensatory draft picks to show for his stay, while the traded players blossom into stars in Minnesota.

Ah, but the best-case scenario is tantalizing to contemplate. Santana takes Felix under his wing and coaxes the same kind of dominant performances out of him that he puts forth himself. The Mariners make the playoffs and ride their two aces to the promised land. Santana gets caught up in the euphoria, and in a fit of largesse gives the Mariners enough of a hometown discount to finesse, say, a five-year, $100 million deal. That's money they were reportedly prepared to give Zito (for six years) last winter, remember.

Yes, this is all mind candy at a time when the real-world Mariners are trying to solidify the No. 5 spot in their rotation for the stretch drive. But baseball is built on mind candy, isn't it? Just a tantalizing thought to liven up your Sunday, and maybe start a nice, lively debate.

OK, dream over. You may now return to your regularly scheduled pennant race.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com