OK, don't screw this up now

We're trying to stay calm about this and we won't feel comfortable until we see Johan Santana pull on a Mets cap at a press conference, but the reports about how far apart the Mets and Santana are have us a bit worried.

Newsday says Santana's agents will take the Mets to the last minute of the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. Jayson Stark of ESPN said the wait might not be quite that long but left open the remote possibility of a deal not getting done as the sides differ on the contract's length.

The Mets apparently want to sign Santana to a guaranteed five-year extension and not six, but may be flexible on the sixth year by making it a vesting year similar to what Tom Glavine had. With a reachable threshold, like 160 innings pitched, it would be all but guaranteed, and with a signing bonus you're talking seven years at around $160 million or so, pushing the average annual salary well above $20 million.

Jon Heyman at CNN SI says the sides are about $20 million apart and that pretty much everyone is in agreement that the Mets cannot allow the deal to unravel over either dollars or contract length.

Could you imagine the backlash if that ever happened? Good lord. The Mets are in a terrible bargaining position but they knew they would be. Here's the deal. The Mets got a steal on the trade and will have to pay for it, literally. But they know Santana will be worth it and then some. So do the deal and maybe sign Livan Hernandez as our fifth starter and the bullpen will be plenty grateful and loaded with El Duque back there.