Thanks to the round-the-clock reruns of the World Series of Poker on the ESPN network, No Limit Texas Hold 'Em has become the most widely played and understood card game in the country.

It is with this in mind that I have decided to analyze this week's blockbuster deal involving Johan Santana in poker terms.

In this game, the Twins had one chip in play. But that one chip was by far the most valuable chip in the game.

Anyone that has played in more than a couple of poker tournaments understands the importance of patience when you're down to that one play - all in. As long as you can still afford the antes for a few rounds, you want to wait until you have a big hand to go all in and give yourself a chance to double-up.

The Twins still had plenty of time to be patient and wait for that big hand to show itself in the form of a blockbuster package of players. But this Tuesday, the Twins seemed to decide they were going to push all-in on the next hand regardless of what cards were on the table.

The result was a package of prospects including outfielder Carlos Gomez and three pitching prospects, none of whom have proven they can pitch at the big league level. In poker terms, I'd call this a suited connector. To be more specific, I'll call it 7-6 of diamonds.

Now this hand has the potential to be a big winner. If three diamonds come up it'll make a flush and several possibilities exist for a straight. But it also has a good chance of producing absolutely nothing.

Gomez has the capability of being a five-tool star in the league. At the same time, he's yet to prove he can hit consistently at the big league level. Even his minor league stats thus far have been underwhelming. Most will say the Mets rushed him to the majors too quickly. Does that mean that he still needs another year of seasoning at AAA to develop into a big league hitter? It sounds lik...

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