Ervin Santana has stepped up big time with John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar out, going 6-0 for the Angels. Harry How/Getty Images Jon Heyman's Mailbag Got a question or comment for Jon? Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jon Heyman on Twitter

Scout's Take: Ervin Santana

"Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders are the reasons Anaheim is where it is without John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar. Santana has electrifying stuff, a high-octane fastball that's 96-to-97 mph, which you don't see too often, and a power slider that has some depth to it. He mixes in a change to keep hitters off balance. He's pitching with more economy. Before, he seemed to be pitching away from contact. He's not overthrowing now. He appears to have a spring in his step. A trouble he had before was pitching on the road, and he isn't having difficulty with that now.''

End of the line for Edmonds?

As if pinch-hitting Calix Crabbe for him wasn't enough of a hint where things stands with Jim Edmonds now, Padres GM Kevin Towers spoke openly on the air in San Diego about Edmonds' slowing legs and bat of late.

Edmonds, 37, makes $8 million this year, but the Padres aren't attaching the usual early hope that accompanies significant trades and substantial contracts. Edmonds looks so off his game now that Padres people are even wondering whether he's still suffering from the post-concussion syndrome that was diagnosed last summer.

The Padres' interest in replacing Edmonds, written here earlier this week, is leading them to investigate the center-field market. Coco Crisp and Jay Payton remain eminently available.

Around the Majors

• There's a buzz about Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and how he won't be as quick to sign an extension with the Yankees considering how the equation has changed with Hank Steinbrenner in charge. The new Steinbrenner has a penchant for publicly revealing his plans and thoughts, and competing execs think Cashman can't be too happy about it. But while some believe Cashman, whose contract expires following this season, would like to give it a go without Steinbrenner's money and interference, most folks around the team still believe he'll eventually be talked into staying considering his strong ties to the area.

• The New Joba Role: Please stop those crazy 360-degree celebrations, especially after striking out David Dellucci with two out and none on and the Yankees already ahead 6-3. Two days earlier, Chamberlain looked like his world was coming to end after Dellucci beat him with a home run. Three words: Be like Mariano.

• Bobby Abreu takes some heat in New York for having a phobia about getting near the wall (he does), but how many players have played at least 150 games every year since 1998? Right, not too many.

• A good guess for Pedro Martinez's return might be June 1 or thereabouts.

• Mets people are still in constant contact with Carlos Gomez, who they love and root for. His cycle (done in reverse order: homer, triple, double, single) was the first for the Twins since the late, great Kirby Puckett did it.

• For those who missed it amidst all the boos, Carlos Delgado hit his 435th home run, the most ever by a Puerto Rican born player (Juan Gonzalez, who is believed to be retired, has 434)

• You know it's rough going for the Giants when they're looking for Omar Vizquel's imminent return to boost the offense.

• The Blue Jays have the best starting pitching -- 16-11, 3.43 ERA -- of any last place team you're going to see.

• Cardinals starters are 17-7 with a 3.73 ERA, a tribute to the good work of pitching coach Dave Duncan.

• Royals lefthander John Bale gets the Dumb Player of the Month award for breaking his left hand in anger on a wall after being upset that his should injury wasn't coming around as quickly as hoped.

• White Sox lefthander Mark Buehrle used Juan Uribe's bat to crush a space heater in a fit if anger, marking the first time Uribe (.191) has bat made such good contact in awhile.

• The blow-up dolls display in the White Sox's locker room was big news in Chicago. As if anyone ever thought ballplayers were known for their decorum.

• Shrinking Pronk: Travis Hafner (.209 average, .339 slugging) doesn't look like half the player he was two years ago.

• Whatever happened to Brett Myers? That's yet another pitcher who is missing a few mph.

• Feisty Brewers manager Ned Yost said the suggestion that Eric Gagne would be removed from the closer's role was "ridiculous." Although, five blown saves usually makes an entire season.

• The union isn't wrong to look into why Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Kenny Lofton and David Wells don't have jobs. But collusion is going to be a tough case to prove. At least Lofton did get an offer, from Tampa Bay. And Piazza's agent Dan Lozano has been quoted talking about extensive interest in Piazza (though frankly I haven't seen it, except in Japan).

• Rafael Furcal's having a monster year in his walk year, but with highly-touted shortstop Chin-lung Hu almost ready to go, some competing execs are speculating that the Dodgers will let Furcal walk. Furcal will certainly want a raise from the $13 million he makes now.

• Team USA GM Bob Watson got to score points by declaring Roger Clemens wouldn't be playing for Team USA, as if anyone thought he was a candidate for such a great honor. Watson probably thought all those extra babes hanging around might distract his teammates.

• I hope Vin Scully didn't mean it when he suggested he might retire after this season while on a recent trip to New York to celebrate his time at WFUV-FM, the Fordham University radio station that's also produced a lot of excellent announcers like Michael Kay, Mike Breen and Bob Papa, fine sportswriters such as Jack Curry of the New York Times and the even more famous Alan Alda, Charles Osgood and Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo). Even now, at age 80 and in his 59th season with the Dodgers, no other baseball announcer is in Scully's league.