Teixeira: Will He or Won't He?

The Red Sox offered 150 over 6 he is as good as gone

It’s hard for us to understand the toll that travel takes on our West Coast players. Add to that Tex’s East Coast background and the fact that his family is there, and you begin to realize why he would prefer Boston. I hate it, but that don’t make it not true.

Why do these players from the east coast even bother to play west of the mississippi? You’d think California is on the dark side of the moon. All I know is for 160 mil., Tex could really rack up the frequent flyer miles.

• 5 years/$140 Million ($28 Mil per year)
• 6 years/$155 Million ($25.8 Mil per year)
• 7 years/$170 Million ($24.2 Mil per year)
• 8 years/$185 Million ($23.2 Mil per year)

That gives HIM the option – does he was long-term security or the most money per year.

If he chooses the 5 year deal he is free to negotiate a new deal after his age 34 season for another 4, 5 or 6 years with some other team.

Money and length matter, but when it comes to two competing teams with the same offer, Tex is going to look at the team around him, and Boston offers him the better chance at getting to the WS. Unless we land Peavy or another big bat, this team is relatively unchanged from last year, and last year wasn’t good enough. Ninja would have to assure Tex that by making Anaheim his home, they won’t stand pat with just him and say we’re good. We still have a hole in LF, we need a more productive leadoff hitter, one more talented bullpen arm, and either a #5 starter, or if that #5 is Mosely, then a long guy in the pen. Bottom line, we have holes, and Boston pretty much only needs to deal an arm to Texas for a better catcher. I want to believe, but I don’t know that I should…

if the red sox are paying him 25 million a year, let them. His slow start will be like JD Drew’s first year only twice as bad. He’ll get ridden hard by the fans and media if he doesnt live up to the contract and for all we know may even fail to heat up because of the pressure

hope being close to home is worth it marky

Never underestimate the greed to the MLBPU.

But I’m a bit worried that he has such a substantial offer on the table from us and he hasn’t jumped at it yet. I know a lot of this could be Boras stalling tactics, but it could be that the offer from the Angels just won’t get it done.

That’s what Tex said he wanted and I think that’s what he’ll do. I don’t put much stock into not hearing anything yet. He’s probably taking the weekend to think it over.

I know we’ve all been around and around about this in our heads. But if the Sox end up with Tex, which seems likely, who do we all think ends up an Angel?

I’m guessing that Fuentes goes into the pen…Burrell ends up in LF…and possibly Rivera gets re-signed.

Those are just my guesses, mind you. Not what I think would be best. Burrell might be Dunn. Rivera might be GA. Y’never know.

That STILL gets us into the postseason. And once you get there, anything can happen. Boston has become such an albatross to us…but the past does not dictate the present, friends.

Have they really said there interested in U-Haul or just the media?
They have a good back up for 1st in the minors allready and would have to give up draft picks.
I don’t see them signing him and would not be supprised if it’s just another Boras game?
I see them needing other infield help besides 1st and a catcher also.
I would love him to come back but also don’t really mind seeing how K-MO does-there isn’t any thing else he can do in the minors.
Trade Weaver and PLEASE don’t touch Saunders
Weavers going to be a little B*%&# just like his bro turned out to be and Saunders has alot of upside to him still.

Is what I ment

The Angels are not getting Tex and its time to move on! So Stop… he is gone! Now we need to look at other options.

We should be talking to Boras about Manny, while concurrently working on deal to bring Jake Peavy to the Angels. This would be a great start. We could fill LF with a lower priced guy and sign Lyon for the pen.

the bug has spoken……………..

We now go live to our reporter in the field – Tom, any updates?

No word yet, Jim, but I’m standing in the rain for dramatic effect anyway.

If the Patrick thing is true forget it. There is no way in hell I would pay him 200 million. That is insane and should only be reserved for an elite player that just absolutely dominates and can be the face of a franchise which Tex isn’t. He is on the next tier as a premium player. He isn’t Pujols, Ramirez in his prime, ARod at his peak b4 he was a Yankee, or even Vladdy in his prime. Heck, one could make an argument that David Wright is worthy of 200 million more than Tex considering he is a few years younger, plays a more premium position at 3B, steals bases, hits for a higher average than Tex, and provides about the same level of power and OBP as Tex would.

I feel a fair contract for both sides would be about 160-180 for 8 years which is on the high end. Even then I don’t think it is worth it since there are many comparable players out there that could provide similar offense albeit with worse defense at 1B or at a different position for a lower cost.

I see him at this point in his career, with respect to age and offensive performance over the last 3 years, as being on the same tier as other 1B such as Miguel Cabrera, Justin Morneau, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, and Adrian Gonzalez. Sure there are some horrible players on that list who can’t play defense on 1B, but the Angels and other teams will be paying the big bucks for his offense and not his defense.

If one were to expand beyond the position of 1B, it becomes evident that Teixera is not as irreplaceable as some people make him out to be.

Chase Utley plays a premium position at 2B and has offensive numbers comparable to Tex.

Grady Sizemore may not have the same power as Tex or hit for the same average, but his numbers on those areas aren’t a great drop off. Plus he is 2 years younger, has a similar high OBP, and steals a ton of bases.

Adam Dunn seems to get harshly criticized for a perception that he is apathetic, has a tendency to strikeout a ton, should only DH, and of course the most common argument that he had his power numbers greatly aided by playing in the hitter friendly Cinergy Field before his trade to Arizona.

What people seem to forget about Tex is that he too played in a hitter friendly environment in Texas. One could argue that he was greatly aided by playing his home games there. That could help explain why in 2004 he it 38 HRs and in his career year in 2005 he hit 43 HRs, drove in 144, hit 41 doubles, and smacked 194 with a .301 average. The following season he still produced solid numbers; however, his home runs dropped to 33 that year while his average dropped to .282 which would be seen as a disappointment after having 3 consecutive seasons of improvement from 2003-2005.

Will he ever reach the heights of 2004 and 2005 again? If he is able to play to his 2005 level for most of his contract, then he will well be worth the 200 million since those numbers would put him in the elite class with Pujols and Manny. One has to wonder though why someone with Tex’s skill set has not been able to replicate those numbers the last 3 years. Is it due to his first half slow starts? Was he unhappy his final full season in Texas which hurt his numbers? Is it something else? Those are just way too many questions IMO for someone that you are about to be committed for 8 years and pay 200 million dollars. It seems like everyone overlooks that his peak was 3 years ago for some reason.

I’d offer 8 years, $170 million and tell him to go to holy heckaroo if he rejects it.

If he rejects, the Angels have last year’s 100-win team except for 1B and Garland’s spot in the rotation. This is a good team, certainly capable of winning the Western Division.

It’s time for Brandon Wood and Kendry Morales to take up some of the slack left by Kotchman-Teixeira. I don’t know if we can expect Adenhart to replace Garland right now, but certainly by 2010.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/32661-why-the-angels-are-still-players-for-teixeira