With winter meetings over, watch these storylines

The Winter Meetings came and went and All-Star Dan Haren is still with A's -- at least for now. AP

Winter Meetings 2007   Latest Coverage Top 10 blockbuster trades of the 2000s Jon Heyman: Meetings winners & losers John Donovan: Jones changes everything Joe Sheehan: Dodgers score with Jones Jon Heyman: Giants interested in Matsui Jon Heyman: Extension for Cashman? Jon Heyman: Options widen for Santana Kevin Goldstein: Analyzing Maybin, Miller John Donovan: 'Untouchables' get moved Jon Heyman: Tigers now an elite AL club Jon Heyman: O's need to deal Bedard Tom Verducci: Tigers make big splash John Donovan: Royals get into the game Truth & Rumors Source: Tigers could move Willis Dodgers not done after Jones deal Cubs talking to O's about Roberts Twins want more from Red Sox

The good folks in Major League Baseball's public relations department on Thursday gave us a listing of everything that officially happened at this year's annual winter meetings. The "2007 WINTER MEETINGS TRANSACTIONS SUMMARY" ran a little over a page, nicely typed without any apparent errors, and included such beauties as these:

Kansas City Royals -- Released RHP Colby Lewis.

Minnesota Twins -- Sent INF Chris Basak outright to Rochester (AAA).

San Diego Padres -- Sold the rights to OF Terrmel Sledge to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Pacific League in exchange for cash considerations.

Yes, these winter meetings were chock full of interesting stuff like that. If it hadn't been for the still-unofficial Andruw Jones signing by the Dodgers, or that blockbuster trade that sent Florida's Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers -- the hard-working sports scribes that trudged through the lobbies of the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., this week spent more on late-night beers than the Marlins are going to spend on their payroll for 2008 -- we wouldn't have had much of anything of substance to talk about.

Still, groundwork was laid in the Music City. Frameworks were constructed. First steps were taken. At least we'd better hope that's the case.

So forget Nashville already. Here's a look at what lies ahead in this Hot Stove winter:

The Santana Circus -- Will he go or won't he? You can make your arguments why the Twins should re-sign their ace at whatever cost -- Joe Sheehan did -- but given the fact that the Twins almost certainly can't win the top-heavy AL Central any time soon, even with the ace lefty in their rotation, and given the fact that you know they don't really want to pay him, you have to think that he'll get traded, and before the season rather than during it. The Twins gain nothing by taking him into the season.

As Jon Heyman has reported, the Red Sox are still deep in trade discussion with their offer of some top prospects, and the Mets injected themselves into the mix before leaving Nashville. The Yankees could get back into it; they've been known to do things like that. There are other teams that will be in the mix, too. So look for Santana to go.

The Santana Circus Sideshow -- A lot of teams would love to get in on Santana, but they simply don't have the young proven players and prospects to do it. Or, in the case of some teams like the Dodgers, they've shown no willingness to give up such a big chunk of their future to take part in the big show.

That's where the Orioles' Erik Bedard and the A's Dan Haren come in. Both are wonderful young pitchers (and both are under 30) from organizations looking for a nice mix of prospects and maybe a veteran in return. They are, in effect, the poor man's Johan Santana. Some thought that Santana might have to move first, just to set the trade market for young, studly, top-of-the-rotation guys. But don't be surprised to see one of these guys jump ahead. Santana might take awhile.

The Rolen Affair -- What are the Cardinals going to do with cranky third baseman Scott Rolen and his trade request now, especially after what equally cranky skipper Tony La Russa said in Nashville this week? They have to trade him, don't they, even if La Russa swears he wants to keep him?

Some La Russa bon mots:

"He's been given a contract; he's been given a couple World Series championships; he's been given a world championship, been a part of it, and he's given back some, but he needs to give back more. And so, we need him."

"The whole idea isn't to please Scott; it's to take care of the St. Louis Cardinals."

"I can make a list of 50 respect points that this man has been given by our organization. It's time for him to give back. So, you said it, and that's exactly what I believe. He's got a contract to play, and we need him to play. And he's going to be treated very honestly. If he plays hard and plays as well as he can, he plays. And if he doesn't, he can sit. If he doesn't like it, he can quit."

(Interested more in what La Russa had to say? The complete transcript of his meeting with reporters in Nashville can be found here.

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