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Red Sox and Angels NOT signing Mark Teixeira


MHizzle85

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per boston.com

Posted by Adam Kilgore, Globe Staff December 18, 2008 10:46 PM

 

Red Sox owner John Henry e-mailed several media members late tonight with a stunning twist in the team's pursuit of free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira.

 

Henry's words: "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

 

Earlier tonight, multiple news outlets reported the Red Sox had traveled to Texas to meet with Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras, in the hopes of trying to finalize a deal. WCVB-TV Channel 5 reported that the Red Sox had offered Teixeira an eight-year deal worth $184 million (an average of $23 million per season).

 

Five teams have been in the hunt for Teixeira to some extent -- the Sox, Angels, Yankees, Orioles, and Nationals -- and all indications had been pointing to the Red Sox as the frontrunners.

 

Earlier this week, Henry had expressed concern about granting a player a contract of eight years or more.

 

"We all have limits," he wrote the AP on Wednesday. "Eight years is a very long time in baseball and everywhere else."

 

He also said the amount the team is willing to spend on a free agent "depends on both" the economy and the player being sought.

 

"Baseball as a whole has not yet been hit by the financial crisis, but it will," Henry said. "The degree is in question and won't be answered for a while."

 

Additionally, Henry wrote in an e-mail to the Herald that the Red Sox would not give a 10-year contract to any free agent.

 

Teixeira hit .308 with 33 homers and 121 RBIs last season, including .358 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 54 games with the Angels.

 

Background material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Edited by MHizzle85
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Well, basically the Yankees bid against themselves (upping by $21 million) because they knew they couldn't sign Sabathia at the same dollars as a West Coast team, closer to his home.

 

Same thing with the Orioles/Nats and TEX...except in reverse, he wants the Nationals to pay a "bonus" for going to a non-contending team, as illogical as this might be, because any extra monies spent on signing TEX would be money (just like in Texas with A-Rod) that would prevent signing other players, thus keeping them essentially non-competitive because of too much invested in just one player (unless he's Pujols, Sizemore, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, etc.) at a non-premium position like SS or CF.

Edited by caulfield12
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While that may end up being right, I think it's a bargaining tactic. The Yankees aren't interested in offering the highest bid either it seems, since any interest has been speculative. The highest offers will come from the Nats and Orioles. Caulfield might be saying the same thing, but I think the Red Sox know he'd rather play for a winner and don't have to up their offer.

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Tex is a nice player, no doubt about it, but his contract if all the reports are true, is crazy. His numbers are nice, but is he really worth more than twice as much per season as Paul Konerko was at the same stage of his career, with a contract twice the length?

 

I can see giving money like that to an ARod, or a Jeter. Those guys have an aura about them. Their value goes far beyond their stats. I just don't see it with Tex. As good as he is, I've never been extra excited about seeing a game because he was playing.

Edited by Dick Allen
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QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Dec 19, 2008 -> 04:02 PM)
Am I crazy or should a first baseman never get a deal like this?

 

Maybe Pujols because he is amazing at every part of the game, but he actually took less than he could've gotten on the market when he resigned.

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QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 21, 2008 -> 05:38 PM)
Angels now out of the Tex sweepstakes as well. If I'm not mistaken, that narrows it down to BAL and WAS? Yikes. Boras is scum.

 

Angels withdraw offer

FWIW author speculates the Angels may turn their attention to PK or Dye and also look at Pat the Bat and Dunn.

 

Also, just my guess, but I think LAA are actually out of it and obviously, since my last post said I think he ends up in Boston, the Red Sox are still very much in it

Edited by SoxFan562004
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Personally I dont think the angels want to commit 8 years and 180M abouts to Texeria or anyone. They seem to be a little more fiscally responsible. They seems like a team that more or less doesnt like going past 90-100M contracts.

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With the Angels seemingly out of the Tex running, I am thinking they may end up making a move for Konerko. LAA is probably one of the few teams that PK allows a trade to, and it just makes sense. The Sox would probably get Figgins or a different OF out of the deal, is my guess. Or maybe pitching.

 

 

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QUOTE (tommy @ Dec 22, 2008 -> 07:14 PM)
When Yankees signed AROD last year, didn't they deal only with the player and skipped Boras throughout the negotiations?

 

I hope Angels make a move for Paulie.

 

How sure are we that Figgins can play CF, I thought he was a 3B ?

 

IIRC, that's what happened with the A-Rod situation. They were having difficulty negotiating with Boras, so they asked to deal with A-Rod directly.

 

As for Figgins, I think he can play 3B, 2B, OF (IIRC, he played LF a couple of times before and I know he played a bit of CF before Hunter arrived as well).

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