It would be foolish. If they were trading star players based on their latest postseason performance, they'd be looking for a new shortstop. Actually, with the exception of the outfield, they'd be looking to trade the whole damn team.
There are two sides to this trade, should it go down.
On the plus side, you are getting the most dominant strikeout pitcher in the American League over the past few years, and a lefty at that, something we haven't seen in New York in...what, forever?
Santana would certainly be the ace of the rotation, and any trade would come with a contract extension, likely making him a Yankee for a considerably long tenure.
On the down side, there is nothing inherently wrong with Wang, other than the fact that he had control issues in the first game, and then pitched on short rest in the second game, against a potent Cleveland offense. He is a great pitcher, but his game relies on a solid defense behind him.
Also, any deal would mean the Yankees would certainly send prospects, and I would suspect that it would most likely include Melky Cabrera and one of our higher-tier pitching prospects (Ian Kennedy?).
Is the trade worth it? If Cashman could get them to lay off of Melky, and still get it done, I would do it. Santana is young enough so that he'll remain a dominant AL pitcher for a considerably long time. We have a glut of prospects for this very reason. I like Ian Kennedy, but I'd rather have Johan Santana, simply because of the fact that one is a proven Major League pitcher while the other is not.
If Melky enters into the equation, it gets harder. Sure, you could trade Melky away, but he has the potential (in my opinion at least) to be the next Bernie Williams. If the Yankees wanted to do the Twins bad, they could simply go and sign Torii Hunter (who left, creating the void that Melky would fill in Minnesota). But this could really hinder the Yankee youth movement, as Hunter is a 30+ year old center fielder with an injury history, although he plays amazing defense and has a bat that Melky simply cannot compete with (yet).
The problem with this trade is that it doesn't see the Yankees getting younger, which I think is vital. If I were Cashman, I would try to get this done without Melky being involved, but with Torii Hunter on the horizon, and Jose Tabata lying in wait back at Scranton, I would have to seriously consider ANY trade that would bring Johan Santana into pinstripes, even if it costs us two of my favorite Yankees (Wang and Melky).
