Even though A-Rod's contract is more oppressive than Teixeira's, you can at least come up with justifications for other teams to be interested in A-Rod-- he plays a position other than the easiest one on the field to fill, he's really famous and a future Hall of Famer*, he's got a couple career HR milestones to hit with a small chance at the big one... I can't even make up reasons why anyone else would want Tex.

* Asterisk.

better at this moment

Is it a given that Teixeira had a better 2012 than AROD? WAR would say so, 3.6 to 2.0, but the difference is largely in assessing Teixeira as having had a really superior year (or 3/4 thereof) with the glove at 1B. In terms of playing time and offense, there wasn't much to choose between them, and AROD can still at least play plausibly at 3B.

Teixeira had a better 2011, for sure, largely because he stayed in the lineup with his usual consistency. If he plays only 120 games a year, he becomes a very ordinary proposition.

It's fair to venture that Teixeira has more near-term upside; he's younger, and till 2012, more recently in much better condition.