Merry Teixmas!

As I hoped, postulated, ruminated.... Teixeira will indeed be a Yankee. It seems that they were laying low, waiting for the Boras camp to come a'calling. I'll keep the updates coming as I get them.

Teixeira, who hit .308 with 33 home runs and 121 RBIs in 2008, will receive an eight-year, $180 million deal from the Yankees with a full no-trade provision.

Holy crap. The Evil Empire lives*. If those figures are to be believed, they were on par with Boston, below the Nationals and above the Angels and Orioles. Not quite the "Beltran Offer" but clearly not the highest bid on the table.

Per Buster Olney:

Free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira has reached agreement with the New York Yankees on an eight-year contract worth more than $170 million.

The Yankees swooped in on Teixeira on Tuesday when it was believed the Boston Red Sox or the Washington Nationals were the likeliest of his future employer. The Red Sox's offer was believed to be in the range of $170 million, and the Nationals reached out with an offer perhaps greater than that of Boston.

Said here almost 2 weeks ago:

It just feels like the Yanks are quietly lurking on the Teix scenario. If they, at the last minute, call Boras and tell him they'll match the Nationals 8 year, $160m offer, I can see them walking off with the two best players this offseason, plus at least two other very good pitchers. The Evil Empire striking again.

Obnoxious? You betchya. At least the ownership is committed. Or should be committed. Whatever.

The Lineup:

1. Damon, LF
2. Jeter, SS
3. Teix, 1B
4. ARod, 3B
5. Matsui, DH
6. Nady, RF
7. Posada, C
8. Swisher, CF
9. Cano, 2B

Not sure how the bottom 3-4 guys shake out right now.

Merry Teixmas to all!



* And yes, I know there will be hell to pay if the Yanks don't win it all.

Maybe you've heard me say this before

Except now it's not coming from my mouth (or keyboard), but from Buster Olney.

Buster on the Yanks lurking, possibly waiting for a "Beltran Offer":

The Yankees made an initial offer to Teixeira, a proposal not close to the others, before they withdrew their bid, and they have maintained contact with the agent, Scott Boras. Three years ago, Carlos Beltran was a free agent, and near the end of his negotiations with the Mets, he offered to sign with the Yankees for a six-year, $96 million deal, or more than $20 million less than what the Mets had offered. The Yankees declined the proposal.

With Teixeira's negotiations with the Red Sox last week, in the failed meeting between the team executives and the player, the Yankees are at least preparing for the possibility that they will be presented with a set of parameters by Teixeira that would bring him to New York. If the first baseman gives the Yankees contract figures that absolutely would result in him signing with the Yankees, they want to be ready to respond.

Buster on the Boras/ARod/Texas parallel:

The Nationals reportedly made an offer of eight years and $160 million to the first baseman, and while some within the organization have privately expressed skepticism about their chances of signing Teixeira, they are viewed as a formidable participant because of their owner's deep pockets. A lingering question throughout these negotiations has been whether Teixeira would be willing to play for the Nationals or the Orioles, teams that figure to struggle in the immediate future, as they rebuild their pitching staffs.

Another Boras client did take a lot more money with a non-contender once -- Alex Rodriguez, who signed a record-setting $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers.

Stay tuned, they are expecting Teix to make his decision today.

Fantasy football heartbreak

A bit off-topic, but this is a quick story about my brother's fantasy football team. Feel free to skip it if you hate this stuff.

He was in the finals in his office league and according to him, clearly the favorite. The guy he was playing had the Bears D/ST yet to play. My brother had both kickers playing last night to choose from. We discussed playing Crosby since every kick would doubly hurt the Bears D/ST. We knew neither was a good option though, due to the weather.

Here are his emails to me late last night:

Timestamp: 12/22/2008 10:56 PM
Subject: "Tonite"
Body: That missed FG was worth 4 to me and -1 to my opponent. And I'm down by 5!

Timestamp: 12/22/2008 11:42 PM
Subject: "This kick"
Body: For the title

Timestamp: 12/22/2008 11:57 PM
Subject: "I'm sick"
Body: That missed FG cost me the title.

That, my friends, is pain.

Oy!

This makes my stomach boil:

"I don't know [Manny Ramirez] personally, with the exception of playing against him and on some All-Star teams," Jeter said. "I know he's had a lot of success everywhere he's gone, and it seems his teams have done been pretty good.

"Not too many people have problems fitting in, I don't think."

I know Jeter is being Jeter-like, trying to say and do the right thing (or the things we want to hear). But adding Manny on a multi-year deal is just a bad idea. As for fitting in, the Cap'n sure did a nice job helping ARod get acclimated, didn't he?

And making it worse, Hank wants Manny for all the wrong reasons:

Hank Steinbrenner is believed to covet Ramirez for the marquee value he would bring to the club and a chance to stick it to the rival Red Sox, for whom Ramirez spent 7½ seasons before last summer's messy divorce.

HANK: YOU ARE PLAYING WIN A FREAKIN' WORLD SERIES, NOT TO WIN THE BACK PAGE WARS OR TO TWEAK THE REDSOX, YOU DIMWIT!

Not to mention, on a team with ARod, Sabathia, Burnett, Jeter, Damon, Matsui, Mo Rivera, Joba... do you really need more marquee value? I need to hit something hard.

Way too much bile this early in the morning. Find it in your heart to forgive me.

Crazy enough to work?

Since I just got done bashing Boras and Teixeira, I'll ask you, my loyal readers, to answer this one: Would you sooner take the longer term, higher total value contract or the shorter, higher AAV contract?

The opportunity is there, especially after the Red Sox and Angels publicly stated they're out. And though it probably won’t work because of the money already on the table from the Nationals and Orioles, there is a rationale that I think makes sense.

Offer Teixeira a 4-year deal worth $102 million. Blow him away with an average annual value of $25.5 million, not far under A-Rod’s megadeal. The Yankees get their short-term commitment while Boras gets the big number he’s looking for. There are tens of millions left on the table, but here’s where it could pay off. The four year deal means Teixeira will hit the open market again at age 32, still in his prime.

Crafty. I can't see Boras letting Teix take it, though. It's not long term enough. Boras would rather the longer term deal with his patented opt-out, methinks. What say you?

Lastly, I have read many defenses/assaults of/on the Yanks and Steinbrenners lately, but I did happen to really like this defense for its brutal honesty, from later in the same article:

For those that think this is overkill after the quarter of a billion dollars they committed to Sabathia and Burnett, I have two words—pipe down. The Yankees have money to spend. This is what they do. So spend it. Who can argue that the players they are adding don’t make sense? If the Steinbrenners took all this money that was coming off the books and put it in their pockets, then that would be a greater crime. Other GM’s can talk tough, but if any one of their owners came to them and offered an extra $100 million for the payroll, not one would say, “no thanks, we’d prefer to do it the right way.”

Something about history repeating, being doomed

If this is true, it's clear that our boy Teix has no grasp of recent history. He need only look at the ARod deal of 2000 to wonder if he'll find happiness being the big fish in a small, stagnant swamp.

According to multiple sources, the Washington Nationals have sweetened their proposal to first baseman Mark Teixeira, offering him an eight-year deal worth $178 to $184 million.
......
I'm also told that they're willing to go nine years - and there's been talk of 10 - which could be one reason why agent Scott Boras is dragging along negotiations.

Not that I think the Nats are a bad organization, it's just that they are not going to be a contender for at least the next 4-5 years, at best. Right? Straight through the prime of Teix's career arc. And then what?

I know I titled this blog the way I did because it's almost universally true, but when you're talking about generational wealth, not just a lot of money, wouldn't you want to create a legacy to support that wealth? CC proved me right. While the rest of these guys will be merely filthy rich, I'm talking more about the guys like Teix, CC, etc. Generational wealth. Putting your great, great grandkids through college without a worry.

Maybe it's me and my position as a father of two young boys. I'd like be able to look them in the eye (had I been a super, duper star) and tell them that I took a bit less money to put myself in a position to win the World Series just once rather than tell them that I simply did the obvious thing and jumped at the highest bid that my agent could scrape together. I could see my son asking me once I retired: "Dad, how come you didn't want to play for the RedSox (or Yankees or Angels)? Why'd you pick the last place Nationals?" Would I be able to answer him with a straight face and tell him that I only wanted to play near where I grew up as the reason? After all, once you have retired, all you have are the memories of your playing days and the money you've earned. What's the practical difference between $175m and $160m in 15 years? Hell, put the money in the wrong spot and it could be equal. The only difference are the memories and the legacy you create. For image conscious guys like ARod and Teix, to forego this chance to chase the last dollar strikes me as odd, as if they have been brainwashed.

Going to DC, just as ARod followed Boras and the money to Texas, would be a terrible, regrettable move for Teixeira. And a move I hope he makes (because seeing him in Boston won't make me feel too good!). Then Boras can come and rescue him in a few years and place him in Boston or NY so he can proclaim that's where he always wanted to be in the first place (but lacked the stones to do it when the opportunity was at his doorstep).

I still say he lands up in Boston. It should be fun to watch Boston bump a Gold Glove 1B out of that position to bump their WS MVP out of the lineup into some dump trade, all in the name of Theo The Smart.

Quick thoughts on Manny, Teix

There are some interesting reports out there today that I could only call misinformation. Once there are some more concrete things to discuss, I'll dive deeper. But for now, let's just quickly mention the two hot topics du jour.

1. Manny expects a 3 year offer from the Yanks in the neighborhood of $75m dollars. If this happens, I might have to auction off my allegiance to this team. Manny also expects the Tooth Fairy to arrive, the Easter Bunny to bring him chocolates and Santa to be readying his sled for his Wednesday night run.
   
2. The Angels have reported backed out of the Teixeira 'sweepstakes' for feeling used. I love Arte Moreno, but he's sounding awfully sensitive here. There's no way the Nats or Orioles end up Teix unless they come in with an over-the-top offer like the Yanks had to do to get CC. The Sox, despite claiming "not to be major factors" in this, WILL in fact be major factors. Unless the Yanks decide to get more piggish (which many didn't think possible), I don't see them landing Teix. Boras reportedly told Cashman it would take eight years and $180 million to $185 million to sign Teixeira. That's ridiculous. I would LOVE to have Teix --who wouldn't?-- but at some point, don't you have to say no? I mean, I'd love a Maserati, but it's just out of my fiscal reach. [Maybe more than "just", towards the area of "way".]
   
   I can see Cashman & Co. making a strong offer (8 years, $21m per) as their "first and final" offer. If the Sox want to reach for 8 years and $180m on what amounts to a luxury item for them, power to them. If you have to trade your WS MVP who has 2 years and have to eat much of the $24m he's still owned in order to add Teixeira, then that's a luxury. Face it. I might have to dust off my Evil Empire II rant.

UPDATE: From Buster's blog today:

The Yankees made an initial offer that was believed to be markedly less than what the other offers have been, and since then they have withdrawn that offer. They are pushing to cut their payroll in 2009, and they cannot sign Teixeira and accomplish that unless they could dump the contract of Hideki Matsui and others, in a market flush with corner outfielders. Their focus continues to be on starting pitching, and at some point they could re-engage a free agent who could come cheaply.
......
And that brings us back to the Red Sox, who sources say were prepared to pay Teixeira something in the range of $170 million to $175 million as club executives flew to Texas, and who might be nudged to $180 million. But they seem to be talking at the idea of throwing out a $200 million deal to the first baseman.

Here's a number to keep in mind: $189 million. That's the value of the contract signed by Derek Jeter after the 2000 season. Scott Boras, Teixeira's agent, is very aware of benchmarks, and so a $190 million contract would surpass Jeter's deal in total dollars.

Does Teixeira really have lots of offers for more than what the Red Sox are offering? Clearly, Boston doesn't think so. Only Boras knows for sure.

It seems that the game has played itself out, the last cards have been dealt, and now Teixeira is in position to make his decision.

Happy 1st Birthday, IIATMS

Happy 1st birthday to the blog. It's been an incredible first year. Thank you all for coming by, visiting, hanging out, debating, challenging, etc. Those are the reasons why I do this and why I have so much fun doing it.

Since I haven't yet began to feel any burnout, I'll keep this going. I hope to get some more interviews with current and former players/coaches/agents. Being able to bring their perspectives to you was a lot of fun. I'll try to do more of that.

I'll also try to keep things fun as much as possible.

I'd be remiss if I didn't offer a big thank you to Craig from ShysterBall for all of his help and chatter during this past year. And to my most loyal readers, keep the comments and emails coming!

Thanks again for coming by. I appreciate it!

How to blow up your career

Quite simply, screw over the universally respected John Schuerholz with shifty and sneaky dealings:

John Schuerholz, the Braves’ president and former general manager, Thursday called the dealings of Furcal’s agents “despicable” and “disgusting” and said the franchise would no longer entertain signing players represented by them — ever.

“Having been in this business for 40-some years, I’ve never seen anybody treated like that,” Schuerholz said. “The Atlanta Braves will no longer do business with that company — ever. I told [agent] Arn Tellem that we can’t trust them to be honest and forthright. I told him that in all my years, I’ve never seen any [agency] act in such a despicable manner.

“It was disgusting and unprofessional. We’re a proud organization, and we won’t allow ourselves to be treated that way. I advised Arn Tellem that whatever players he represents, just scratch us off the list. Take the name of the Atlanta Braves off their speed dial. They can deal with the other 29 clubs, and we’ll deal with the other hundred agents.”

Agent Paul Kinzer, the lead agent in the Furcal deal, works directly for Tellem. Tellem reported heaved Kinzer under the bus in trying to explain away Kinzer's actions to Wren and Scheurholz. Kinzer's reputation is in shambles after this one. In listening to Joel Sherman on XM yesterday, he had his great line: "I'm writing about this tomorrow. Would you like me to call you an idiot or a liar?"

I'm digging a bit more on this and have a call into an agent for their views on the ethics and conditions behind these sorts of actions. If I can get some additional color, you'll know!

Premature rumination

I penned a long rambling post last night after learning about an 8 year, $184m offer the Sox had put on the table for Teix. Then I awoke to this:

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).

I've pulled my initial posting for the time being, in full disclosure. Should this ploy by Henry be just a bluff, I'll dust it off and toss it back out there.

Looking ahead to 2010 free agents-to-be

Gotta love MLBTradeRumors for goodies like this, their massive list of 2010 free agents-to-be. And from the looks of it, it's not a bumper crop. We're going to be losing Matsui, Damon and Nady. If Austin Jackson is ready to take CF for his own in 2010, we'll need two corner OFs (or one if we get a 1B and move Swisher to a corner OF spot). Here are the interesting names that stick out for me, either due to age or need or both. My comments are in red.

These are players who are eligible for free agency after the 2009 season. The player's 2010 age is in parentheses and Scott Boras clients are bolded. Current free agents who have not yet signed are not on this list.

First basemen

• Nick Johnson (31) Would be nice to bring him back but can he stay healthy?
• Adam LaRoche (30)

Second basemen

• Brian Roberts (32) Love this guy but if Cano's still at 2B, where would he play?

Shortstops

• Bobby Crosby (30) If you like a 0.230 BA and perennially injured SS...
• Khalil Greene (30)

Third basemen

• Adrian Beltre (31) Just thinking if we move ARod to 1B and put Beltre at 3B for defense
• Chone Figgins (32) Lacks the pop of a CI, but would be a great lead-off guy. Can he play SS and bump Jetes to 1B? Will he play CF if Jackson isn't ready? Does he have a Damon-like arm?

Left fielders

• Jason Bay (31) Yes, please, if the Sox don't extend him before he gets to FA.
• Carl Crawford (28) - $10MM club option with a $1.25MM buyout. I can't see the Rays not exercising this option
• Matt Holliday (30) If he can hit in OAK, he'd be welcome in the Bronx. If he can't, stay away!

Center fielders

• Rick Ankiel (30) Certainly intriguing. Want to see him get 600 AB's and then decide. Boras client, so expect him to be overpriced if he has a good year.
• Marlon Byrd (32) Could be a quiet, under the radar signing. Which means it won't happen.

Right fielders

• Vladimir Guerrero (34) Oldest 34 year old since El Duque finished high school. Really, 34 with a straight face? My dad's had both knees wrecked and would be 30 years older and I'm not sure Vlad can beat him down the line. Which means it's exactly who Hank would pine for. But only as a DH at this point.
• Xavier Nady (31) Another Boras client but if he has a solid year, maybe he sticks a bit.
• Jayson Werth (31) I like this guy. Sure he's a platoon, but he is an easy 20/20 guy. I don't know how good/bad his D is, though. Anyone?

Starting pitchers*

• Erik Bedard (31) Oof. He could be wonderful to add as a strong lefty, or he could be out the whole year.
• Rich Harden (28) Droool. See Bedard, change to "righty". Look up "Pure Stuff" and you'll see his picture.
• John Lackey (31) If the Angels can't lock this guy up long term, I'd go all in on Lackey. Not CC levels, but this is a guy to get.
• Brett Myers (29) Except when in Boston, sure.
• *Beckett, Webb and C.Lee have options that are likely to be picked up.

This is just sad

Sure it makes the headlines due to the Clemens angle, but it's just sad:

Roger Clemens' longtime mistress was hospitalized - after an apparent suicide attempt, Nashville police said.
......
A source told the Daily News McCready severed a tendon in her left arm that required immediate surgery.

I really hope she gets the proper counselling to get herself back together.

Can Sabathia bring the chemistry along with the heat?

If you like William C. Rhoden (as much as I do) and his line of reasoning, the answer is yes:

Sabathia represents a potential breath of fresh air in a stale, cliché-ridden Yankees clubhouse, one with little personality and even less passion, and no recent championships to compensate for those deficiencies.

Sabathia is a good-natured star who has strong feelings about issues and isn’t afraid to share them. This is an anomaly in a clubhouse famous for antiseptic professionalism.
......
The common wisdom is that a team can buy Gold Gloves, big bats and strong arms, but it can’t buy chemistry.

The Yankees may have finally figured out how to buy that, too.

The condor has landed

Well, he's slightly larger than an eagle...although, he looks much thinner than I remember him from October. I am imagining things?



Let the hatin' begin.

Counting stripes

Leave it to the UniWatch blog to try to figure out how many pinstripes will be on CC's jersey, and how many were on Babe's, the Scooter's, Joba's...

So how many stripes will Sabathia be wearing? Unsurprisingly, neither the Yankees nor Majestic (MLB's official uniform supplier) wanted to help to answer that question, but Uni Watch has obtained information suggesting that the total may be as high as 62! That figure can be corroborated by examining how CC looked in the Brewers' pinstriped Friday throwback. Uni Watch counts 13 stripes from the right side seam to the center placket; assuming an identical count on the left side and then that total amount again on the back, we'd have 52 stripes. But the Brewers' pins are spaced 1.0625 inches apart, while the Yankees' are only 27/32 of an inch apart. Factor in the difference, divide by the square root of pi, carry the 2, and you end up with about 64. Granted, these are all rough calculations, but they appear to confirm that CC's pinstripe count will be in the low 60s.

Now then, how does that number stack up against some other famously plus-sized Yankees?

You'll have to head to the link to enjoy the goodness that is the UniWatch blog, which I thoroughly recommend!

Oh please NO! Not the Plaxicator!!!

Please tell me this is Hank banging his desk like a petulant teenager and that Cashman is looking at Hal as if to say "Let's just placate him for now, but we won't really do this":

The [Yankees] official believes that the Yankees are "going hard" after Ramirez, to the point where they are willing to give him a three-year deal worth from $22 million to $25 million per year.

Two other officials are skeptical that the Bombers would commit three years to the enigmatic Ramirez, who has already seen the Dodgers make and withdraw a two-year, $45 million offer this winter.

One year for Manny, to scratch that itch, OK. I won't love it but for one year, I'll roll the dice and see if he can be that MVP guy in LA versus the "Plaxicator"* that he was in Boston. But three years? On THIS team? With this many 35 year olds who will need to have a day or two in the DH role? Good lord, no!!!! How many exclamation points can I use? In a league that is clearly moving towards faster, younger, more athletic, the Yanks would be going slower, older, immobile.

He can't play a lick of defense. We already have Damon and Matsui who are liabilities in LF/DH. Nady in right is fine. CF will be an issue. Posada might not be ready to catch 6 games a week but might be OK to hit (in the DH spot). And last I checked, Manny's a freakin' head case! He still is a tremendous hitter who would provide some protection and thump behind ARod, but c'mon.

I can't stress how much I'd hate the Yanks going to an absurd 3 year deal. There is NO COMPETITION for his services for a TWO YEAR deal? Why offer a THREE? Why am I banging the keys while typing, like it's going to make my point any better? Take this cash and use it as a downpayment on a Teix offer!

If Cashman and Hal truly have the reins/reigns (thank you, KLaw), Manny won't be a Yankee at all. If they placate Hank, I can see a 1 year deal. If Hank tries to overrule, all bets are off.

Now I am stomping my foot like that petulant teenager. Shoot me.

* Saw my neighbor while getting into my car this cold and snowy morning. He called Manny "another Plaxico". So I created the new terms: Plaxification and Plaxicator: To sandbag/the sandbagger of a team despite your immense, god-given talents.


UPDATE: From Buster's blog and I completely agree (Insider access required, sorry):

Here's something any executive thinking about signing Manny should consider before giving him a multiyear deal: If he gets a two-, three- or four-year deal, it probably will represent the last big-money contract he will receive -- and what exactly will compel him to play hard for the duration of the deal?

Once Manny signs his next big-money deal, the financial carrot that seemed to drive him in August and September will be gone, so an employer who gives him a multiyear deal will be wholly dependent on his competitive integrity.

Good luck with that.

Newton's Third Law, baseball-style

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

So sayeth the RedSox:

The Yankees' recent purchases can only be further motivation for the Boston club. The American League East was typically one of baseball's toughest divisions. And that was before the emergence of the Rays, who went from nowhere to the World Series in one season and now cannot fairly be expected to return to oblivion.

The Red Sox, having finally gained the upper hand in the rivalry with the Yankees by the virtue of two World Series championships in the last five seasons, cannot sit idly by and watch the Yanks make dramatic, if incredibly expensive, improvements. And that is what the acquisitions of Sabathia and Burnett were. The Yankees have not won a World Series since 2000, primarily because their starting pitching wasn't of championship caliber. On paper, at least, that shortcoming has now been directly addressed.

So that guy out West won't be traded

Yawn. Unless he is, of course.

“We said from the very beginning in connection with both of those possibilities that we would not make a trade unless it made baseball sense,” [Padres CEO Sandy] Alderson said. “We are no longer actively pursuing any trade for Jake, which is not to say someone won't approach us.”

Moving on....

Neyer on Burnett, lineup

I'm an unabashed Neyer fan, I'll admit it. And he's spot on again about Burnett, which is something I have been saying in the lead-up to his signing:

[Burnett]'s not reliable, and the Yankees have pretty obviously overpaid. Too many dollars, too many years. If the Yankees wanted an impressive fifth starter, they probably could have spent a little less money for a slightly better pitcher. But what's a few million dollars to the Yankees?

I have noted that I love a Burnett contract for three years, like for four and hate for five. Well, Cashman went to a five year deal to land their man. Though, when has eating the extra years of a bad contract prohibited the Yanks from doing anything else they had planned, so why worry about that, right? Ain't my money.

Sure, the Yanks offense is older and on the slide. But it's still pretty good. Says Neyer:

And the offense? Yankee Stadium is (or rather, was) a pitcher's park. Considering only road games, the Yankees finished third in the American League in OPS last year. Maybe that doesn't qualify as "excellent," but it's certainly somewhere between "good" and "excellent." Granted, everybody's a year older and we might expect a slight decline next year. So yes, the Yankees should try to improve their offense … and I'm not at all convinced they can't still afford to do exactly that. Has Brian Cashman suggested that he's finished spending money? If he has, I missed it. In fact, I'll be surprised if the Yankees' Opening Day lineup doesn't look better than it looks right now.

And right now it looks pretty darn good.

I would have LOVED to see Teix in pinstripes over Burnett and gone after Lowe or Sheets on a shorter term deal.

Save your venom

FEEL FREE TO DISREGARD THIS ENTIRE POSTING. THE YANKS JUST QUASHED ANY "EVIL EMPIRE II" STUFF.

Yankee bashers, save some of your venom. The Sox are entering the $200m contract realm. Does this mean they are officially out of the "scrappy, gamer, underdog" business and now headlong into the mercenary business?

Dan Patrick reported on his show on AM 570 that the Boston Red Sox have made first baseman Mark Teixeira an eight-year, $200 million offer.

If so, that blows the reported eight-year, $160 million offers by the Angels and the Washington Nationals out of the water.

Patrick said Monday morning: “If it’s true they’re offering $200 million to a career .290 hitter, it’ll be interesting to see what the Angels do.”

Evil Empire II. Save your chest-beating, Sox fans, and look in the mirror. You aren't much different than the team you love to hate. Except your management allows facial hair.

Now...all fun aside, if the Sox get Teix, that's a fantastic move for them. He's a quality person first and foremost, an anti-Manny, if you will. He plays great defense, a solid hitter from either side of the plate. Seems to be accountable for his actions, which I love. Does he have the personality that will fit in a loose Boston clubhouse? Not sure. Can that be overlooked? Probably.
Add in Teix to that lineup with that rotation and I'd be hard-pressed to see any team beating them along the way to the World Series. Beckett, Lester, Dice-K at the front of the rotation with Papelboner at the end. Pedroia, Youk, Papi, Teix, Drew. That's a great team. Period. Hurts to say but it's true.

Can the Yanks climb back into the playoffs over this team and the Rays? Can the Rays sustain the '08 momentum? Will I be jealous/envious if the Sox land Teix? Maybe, probably, definitely.