Texieria didn't fill any seats when he was with the Angels either.

There's a Baltimore radio station that's reporting that those nebulous "sources close to his family" say that the Nats have the highest offer on the table -- by "quite a bit."

For whatever (not much) that's worth.

It seems to me that Teixeira is there for the taking by the Yankees. The Angels by all reports have bids that are underwhelming and Tex wants to be on the East Coast, the Nats and Orioles both aren't competitive and the Red Sox evidently haven't made a particularly impressive offer because outside of money they meet what would seem to be the criteria (East Coast competitor).

That leaves the Yankees as the Wild Card and this could play out like the Johnny Damon thing did where the Yanks swoop in at the last minute and say "here's more money than everyone else, you have an hour." It's actually a smart way for the Yankees to do busines, rather than set the market for everyone else just let the market set itself then beat it by a reasonable amount rather than doing the "A-Rod to the Rangers" thing and beat the market by $100 million.

It's actually a smart way for the Yankees to do busines, rather than set the market for everyone else just let the market set itself then beat it by a reasonable amount rather than doing the "A-Rod to the Rangers" thing and beat the market by $100 million.

I thought the smart thing was to make a big early offer to knock other bidders out of the competition, like they did with CC? I think the real strategy is just offering a boatload of money.

Let's see. O's can expect improved production out of CF (Jones), C (Weiters) and SS (Izturis... the others sucked that bad!) next year. They'll get equivalent/improved production from LF (Scott/Montanez/Reimold), RF (Markakis), slight decline from 2b (Roberts, getting older), and who knows from DH/3B (Huff was awesome, but for the first time in 3 years; Mora decided he was George Brett circa 1980 for the month of August.)

Kevin Millar last year had 500+ at bats, an OPS of 87, and meh defense. O's ranked 7th in the AL in runs.

Some combination of Scott/Huff/Freel at 1b/DH would already be a huge improvement, and the club's gonna lose 90+ games owing to the complete lack of a starting rotation.

$20+ Mil. for Tex isn't the way to go.

Let's see. O's can expect improved production out of CF (Jones), C (Weiters) and SS (Izturis... the others sucked that bad!) next year. They'll get equivalent/improved production from LF (Scott/Montanez/Reimold), RF (Markakis), slight decline from 2b (Roberts, getting older), and who knows from DH/3B (Huff was awesome, but for the first time in 3 years; Mora decided he was George Brett circa 1980 for the month of August.)

Kevin Millar last year had 500+ at bats, an OPS of 87, and meh defense. O's ranked 7th in the AL in runs.

Some combination of Scott/Huff/Freel at 1b/DH would already be a huge improvement, and the club's gonna lose 90+ games owing to the complete lack of a starting rotation.

$20+ Mil. for Tex isn't the way to go.

I don't get this argument. This isn't a one year deal, and Teixiera isn't 37. He could help them for years, and the Orioles could easily be a contender from 2010-2012 or so, when he'll still be in his prime. Even just for 2009, Tex, Wieters, and Izturis could be worth 8-9 additional wins for the Orioles, so that puts them close to .500. If a couple of their pitching prospects develop, they'll be well positioned for a run in 2010.

I don't get this argument. This isn't a one year deal, and Teixiera isn't 37. He could help them for years, and the Orioles could easily be a contender from 2010-2012 or so, when he'll still be in his prime.

Yep. Again, I think it makes a lot of sense for the Orioles to do this and, if Tex really wants to go there, they should work something out. The O's are really close to being relevant again.

The only way the Orioles can be considered a serious player for Teixeira now, sources say, would be if the Maryland native were to take their offer...

That would make them serious players, all right.

The Angels by all reports have bids that are underwhelming and Tex wants to be on the East Coast, the Nats and Orioles both aren't competitive and the Red Sox evidently haven't made a particularly impressive offer because outside of money they meet what would seem to be the criteria (East Coast competitor).

From the Boston Globe:

A general manager of one of the five teams involved in the Mark Teixeira talks told the Globe's Nick Cafardo this morning that in his opinion if the talks ended right now, Boston would land the coveted free-agent first baseman. "I think they're in the lead and ahead of where everyone else is right now," he said. "I'm not sure who's bidding against them at this point."

I don't get this argument. This isn't a one year deal, and Teixiera isn't 37. He could help them for years, and the Orioles could easily be a contender from 2010-2012 or so, when he'll still be in his prime. Even just for 2009, Tex, Wieters, and Izturis could be worth 8-9 additional wins for the Orioles, so that puts them close to .500. If a couple of their pitching prospects develop, they'll be well positioned for a run in 2010.

I like the guy. I even know someone who used to work at the Severna Park Dunkin' Donuts who said they waited on him and considered him an excellent customer. But paying out $20+ mil. a year, for 10 years, for a handful of marginal wins?

He's not exactly on sale...

/Also, check #2 on his BBRef comps...

"And Cesar Izturis doesn’t fill seats!"

He fills one, on the bench. If you're smart enough not to play him every day, anyway.

I thought the smart thing was to make a big early offer to knock other bidders out of the competition, like they did with CC? I think the real strategy is just offering a boatload of money.

I have some reservations about Teixeira, but I won't post them again, so as to not aggravate good old Larry Mahlken.

In any case, the Teixeira situation is VERY different from the Sabathia situation, because the Yankees perceived (rightly or wrongly) that they NEEDED Sabathia and HAD TO HAVE HIM.

With Teixeira it would be a different situation, in that they may not NEED HIM (I assume signing Teixeira means no Pettitte and/or Cameron, and that path - Pettitte and Cameron - was also an option for the Yankees in 2009), but they would certainly derive some benefits from getting him....

I like the guy. I even know someone who used to work at the Severna Park Dunkin' Donuts who said they waited on him and considered him an excellent customer. But paying out $20+ mil. a year, for 10 years, for a handful of marginal wins?

Again, I'm not following. Are you saying that he isn't worth $20-25M for any team? I'll defer to others with more expertise, but isn't he worth 5-6 wins over replacement? If a win is worth $4M, $20-25M is a fair price. Or are you saying that he isn't worth that to the ORioles? If the latter, that only makes sense if you think the Orioles are 4-5 years from contention and Tex's salary will make it impossible for the team to improve in other areas, neither of which is accurate IMO.

Again, I'm not following. Are you saying that he isn't worth $20-25M for any team? I'll defer to others with more expertise, but isn't he worth 5-6 wins over replacement? If a win is worth $4M, $20-25M is a fair price. Or are you saying that he isn't worth that to the ORioles? If the latter, that only makes sense if you think the Orioles are 4-5 years from contention and Tex's salary will make it impossible for the team to improve in other areas, neither of which is accurate IMO.

Well, attendance was below 2 mil. MASN can't be a money-maker, way too many public-service ads and the Nats are a disaster. Over the last 40 years, economically speaking, when DC sneezes, Baltimore catches double-pneumonia. Yeah, there are other sources of funds coming in from MLB, but... I'd be veddy cautious spending money, and this is going to be, what, a top-five salary in the AL, right?

I like Tex. By OPS+, his numbers in his 20s aren't that far below Delgado's. But, as to the future, how much better will the 30-year-old Tex of 2010 be than the 23-year-old Brandon Snyder of 2010? (Not that I'm sold on Snyder, but... $20 mil. vs. $400k?)

If I'm McPhail, and I'm not... this isn't a deal I chase.

I have some reservations about Teixeira, but I won't post them again, so as to not aggravate good old Larry Mahlken.

MISSPELLING LARRY MAHNKEN'S NAME MAKE LARRY MAHNKEN ANGRY!

LARRY SMASH!!! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHGGHGHGH

MISSPELLING LARRY MAHNKEN'S NAME MAKE LARRY MAHNKEN ANGRY!

LARRY SMASH!!! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHGGHGHGH

Sometimes, I wish there was a Primer Secret Santa.

Sun rising in west also doubtful.

Lassus: You took the cliche right out of my keyboard. I suggest a follow-up article entitled "Sources: Manny to Royals Not Probable" .

Based on Furcal to Braves, I expect Tex to sign with Baltimore for 10/$375 any day now. :-)

Sometimes, I wish there was a Primer Secret Santa.

I always thought those would make a great gift for this guy

Hey, since nobody else will take the Braves' money, they should just bring back Teixeira and trade Kotchman. Done deal!

From a fan's perspective, way outside the process, this typical Boras slow motion negotiation is excruciating to experience from only a series of oblique and often false public reports. Just agree to a ####### deal with someone already for christ's ####### sake!

Sun rising in west also doubtful.

The Sun (the local Baltimore newspaper, not the stellar object) has occassionally talked about the Orioles having their eye on Teixera because he's a hometown boy, there are no obvious 1Bmen of the future he'd be blocking, fans of almost very team want their squad to make a big splash in the off-season, and because newspaper columnists want to have something new to write about.

You can only write so many variations of "local fans have given up on the team and think Angelos isn't trying to win" and "Yankee/Red Sox fans are talking over our ballpark every time their team comes to town."

So people who write about baseball in Baltimore write about Teixiera regardless of the odds he'd ever end up in an O's uniform and have been since the second Texas was even considering trading him away.

I was leafing through the Bill James 09 book today, and in my cursory glance, I got a new appreciation of why teams are willing to pay so much for Teixeira. Simply put, there are very few hitters that are projected to be as good as him (according to James, anways). He, Berkman, Manny, ARod, and Cabrera were all projected in the .950-ish range (only Pujols was projected higher). Of the group mentioned, ARod's making $30 mil, and Teixeira has similar or better defensive value than the rest and is considerably younger than Berkman and Manny. He's like a secretly elite player, if you believe what James projects for him.

Hey, since nobody else will take the Braves' money, they should just bring back Teixeira and trade Kotchman. Done deal!

They should trade him for Saltalamacchia!

ANNNNNNGGGEEEEEEEELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!
You cheap BASTARD!
The seats don’t fill themselves!
And Cesar Izturis doesn’t fill seats

This is why the Yankees are the smartest organization in baseball. Say what you want about giving a pitcher $20M+ for seven years, but nobody fills seats like Sabathia.

Also, check #2 on his BBRef comps...

The rest of the list ain't particularly inspiring either.

Comp lists aren't predicative

Comp lists aren't predicative

Especially not the one you guys seem to be looking at - that's Davis's entire career. The "through age 28" list for Tex is far, far nicer.

It's kind of fun reading these daily Boras leaks. One day he's about sign with the Red Sox. The next day he wants to play near home. The next day some team is out of the running unless they up their offer.

I still think he'll sign with the Red Sox, but I think we're going to see this drama play out for a while.

There is no way the O's are trying to win by signing a short stop like Izturis.

He is just awful. His defense in no way makes up for his lack of offense.

He will struggle to put up a 600 ops in 2009.

If somehow the Nationals can change human nature and pull off a Teixiera signing (I still think he will end up with the New England Evil Empire), it is going to be absolutely delicious to see Cuban Pete explain this to his team's fans.

There is no way the O's are trying to win by signing a short stop like Izturis.

You are right that they won't compete next year, but it will be because of their near-total lack of starting pitching, not because of Izturis.

Their shortstops were so horrificly far below replacement last year that Izturis should be a 4 win upgrade. That's about the same as the upgrade from Millar to Tex.

Their lineup, with Tex, would be plenty deep to handle a no-hit shortstop and would be above average offensively and defensively.

If somehow the Nationals can change human nature and pull off a Teixiera signing (I still think he will end up with the New England Evil Empire), it is going to be absolutely delicious to see Cuban Pete explain this to his team's fans.

Tex signing with the Nats may be the best-case scenario for the O's, actually. It gets him out of the AL and specifically keeps him away from the other AL East teams.

Also, the only way I can see Tex signing with the Nats is if they significantly outbid the Orioles (and the other teams) - AKA a contract that the Orioles are better off not touching.

He is just awful. His defense in no way makes up for his lack of offense.

Last year it did, actually. He's easily worth $2.5M/year. And, as DKDC pointed out, he's a huge upgrade for the Orioles.