Johan Santana has three years left on his six-year, $137.5 million contract. While he has performed admirably up to this point, the deal may prove to be another Mets' management mishap.
Santana, who is done for the year, apparently will require surgery on a torn anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder, according to an MRI exam.
The left-handed ace, though, may not be ready for next season, the New York Post reports.
"Time will tell how I'll recover. But I've just got to go back to being healthy and be 100 percent," Santana said.
This will be his third-consecutive season in which he has needed surgery.
"This is something that I was told is going to take time," Santana explained. "I've just got to wait and see. I think the most important thing here is to be ready, to be 100 percent. Whether it's April, whether it's May, July, October, who knows?"
The injury-prone Santana has rarely been 100 percent during his tenure in Queens, and will not be able to throw off a mound for nearly half a year, doctors say.
"Whether it's through a trade or free agency, you have to look at replacing him. Hopefully he'll be back earlier rather than later. But when we get into our planning for next year, it's going to be something that I did not expect to fill," GM Omar Minaya said.
Santana is scheduled to get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews prior to surgery.
