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Mets, Santana complete negotiations

Society Materials 2 February 2008 04:11 (UTC +04:00)

( AP )- Johan Santana and the New York Mets completed contract negotiations Friday, the last major step needed to finalize the team's blockbuster trade with Minnesota.

After the sides were granted an extra two hours to work on a deal, they finished talks before the new 7 p.m. EST deadline. The pitcher is scheduled to take a physical, the Mets said.

Twins general manager Bill Smith said Santana would take his physical Saturday morning.

Mets officials met with Santana's agent, Peter Greenberg, in Manhattan for the third straight day as the sides worked on a contract for the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner.

The Twins agreed Tuesday to swap Santana for four prospects: outfielder Carlos Gomez and right-handers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.

Santana and the Mets were then given until 5 p.m. EST Friday to negotiate a contract. For the deal to become official, the left-hander must formally waive the no-trade provision in his current contract.

With talks ongoing Friday, the Mets asked Minnesota for two extra hours to work on an agreement, a request that was granted by the Twins and approved by the commissioner's office.

Santana's contract was likely to set a record for pitchers, topping the $126 million, seven-year deal Barry Zito got from the San Francisco Giants last offseason . Santana was due $13.25 million in the final year of his contract with the Twins, and it was expected his deal with the Mets would be worth about $150 million over seven seasons.

Without a new deal, Santana, who turns 29 in March, could become a free agent after the 2008 World Series, and the Twins don't have the budget to re-sign him. Minnesota offered him an $80 million, four-year extension this offseason , but he turned it down.

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