As posted by Zac Wassink, at Associated Content....

Alright, Mets fans. I know what you're thinking. I had the same reaction after I read the ESPN.com article in which Jayson Stark suggests that the two sides are "far enough apart that it was unlikely any deal could be reached before Friday morning at the earliest." After taking a minute to breathe (and breathe and breathe) let me reassure you all that Johan Santana will be a New York Met next week.

For starters, Omar Minaya would not have made this move if he did not have full confidence that he could sign Santana to a long-term deal. Despite the fact that the Mets absolutely robbed the Twins by acquiring Santana for four middle of the road prospects, Minaya went into this knowing what would have to be spent in order to acquire the services of the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The Mets save a boatload of money by signing both David Wright and Jose Reyes for far less than what should have been spent. The Mets will pay and they'll do it now in order to have the best pitching rotation in the National League.

The Johan Santana deal has been a public relations dream come true for the Mets. The New York Giants are a week away from playing in the Super Bowl yet every newspaper in New York and New Jersey had a picture of Santana on page one Wednesday morning. Opening Day in New York will center more around the Mets than the Yankees. The Mets have been desperate for that kind of attention since October of 1986.

Blowing this deal, on the other hand, is a public relations nightmare the likes of which the Mets have never seen before. Not signing Santana will anger diehard fans and drive away those jumping onto the bandwagon. How excited are fans about Santana coming to the Mets? You can find your brand new Mets Santana jersey online already.

Of course, there's also that little matter about blowing a seven game division lead with only 17 games left in the season. The Santana trade has put the 2007 regular season out of the minds of fans. Failure in this matter will only bring franchise failures back to the minds of everybody who cheers on the New York Mets.

I don't think that fans think in their minds that Santana will not pitching in Queens come April. The truth is that fans still are a little punch drunk after the collapse of '07 and many believe that another disappointment is quickly approaching. It also doesn't help that the Mets have not been reassuring about the team's ability to sign Santana. The following would put my mind at ease just a little:

The New York Mets are happy to report that the team has reached a verbal commitment in principle with pitcher Johan Santana. While details will not be disclosed at this time, the team is happy to report that Santana will not be voiding the trade. Mr. Santana is currently on vacation but he will be in New York later next week in order to finalize his contract. He looks forward to pitching for the New York Mets for many years to come.

That's all fans are looking for. Instead, we all must now play the waiting game. Mets fans will have to remain calm for just a little longer.