Angels not willing to wait for Teixeira

November 5, 2008 by Joe Pawlikowski 23 Comments

One of the biggest obstacles to the Yankees acquiring Mark Teixeira this winter is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It appears they want to retain him, and will make a sizable offer to the 28-year-old first baseman. Not only that, but the Red Sox appear interested, meaning the price might get a bit steep. Probably not 10 years, $200 million steep, but it’ll get up there.

The good news is that the Angels don’t necessarily play Scott Boras’s game of gauging the market and waiting it out in hopes of extracting the largest possible offer. They like to make big offers and act quickly, as evidenced by the Torii Hunter acquisition last winter. Word from Angels GM Tony Reagins is that the team won’t let the Teixeira situation drag out.

“In any situation, you get to a point where you have to make a decision and move the business forward,” Angels GM Tony Reagins said. “In any negotiation, there always comes that point where you have to say, you’re in or you’re out.”

When will that point be? Rosenthal speculates that it could come as soon as next Thursday, though that’s doubtful. There’s little chance that Teixeira accepts an offer before at least gauging the market. You don’t hire Scott Boras as your agent so you can take a hometown discount before hearing other offers. You don’t turn down $140 million without the intent of hearing higher bids.

I have a feeling this might be some hot air coming from the Angels. They’ll surely make an aggressive offer to keep Teixeira, who hit .358/.449/.632 in his 234 Angels plate appearances. I don’t expect them to just bow out, though, if he doesn’t immediately accept the offer. There will be plenty of them, and it’s in his best interest to take the time to examine each of them. (Especially if the highest one is from the Yankees.)

http://www.freewebs.com/ps3tf2/ Double-J

First.

I’d love to see Tex come to the Bronx but, much like Manny in Chavez Ravine, I think that he seemed to really enjoy/thrive with the Angels and would suspect that he might prefer to stay put. I’m not saying he won’t go for the money – I hope he does and is playing in pinstripes next season. But out of all the guys on the market we’re currently in the hunt for (e.g. Sabathia, Burnett, Lowe, etc.), I get the feeling Tex would be the one most inclined to stick with his old team, if for no other reason than that the Angels have a great core and will continue to lead the AL West with that group of players.
- Chris
  
  I disagree about Tex. From what I’ve read (not just now, but over the past couple seasons), he seems likely to go for the most money.
  - Kay Sturns
    
    having been traded twice in two years, i don’t think he has any loyalty to any one team. He’ll take the most years he can with a ntc
- radnom
  
  Yeah, I disagree too.
  
  All the impressions I’ve got have been if we make the highest bid, Tex is ours.
  
  The person I’m marginally worried about going somewhere else for slightly less money would be CC.
  - Alan
    
    I wouldn’t be shocked to see Sabathia stay in Milwaukee if they can put together a competitive offer. They’ve got a competitive core and could be a contender for years to come if they can keep their young guys together.
    - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones
      
      “They’ve got a competitive core and could be a contender for years to come if they can keep their young guys together.”
      
      They’re letting Sheets walk and they’ve already put Prince Fielder on the block. They shot their wad for 2008, and now they’re in full-sale mode. Mike Cameron’s option pickup notwithstanding, the Brewers are already planning for the future.
      - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
        
        They’re always planning for the future. Putting Prince and Hardy on the block when they’re about to get expensive and you have Alicedes Escobar and Matt Gamel ready to take their spot on the field is good business. They’ll get a bigger package for Hardy then Fielder I believe.
        
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones
        
        I don’t disagree that it’s good business and smart, it is.
        
        I’m just saying, I doubt they drop 20M plus on a single pitcher in the midst of moving Fielder and Hardy. Escobar and Gamel are good, but who knows how long it will take to transition them into competent major leaguers on the level of Fielder and Hardy.
        
        Sabathia was always a rental. They’ll make a pitch to him, they’d be silly not to, but their not going to get into, or win, a bidding war for CC.
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
        
        but who knows how long it will take to transition them into competent major leaguers
        
        Well, only Yankees’ prospects don’t perform as expected in the bigs, so I think Gamel & Escobar are safe.
- http://www.freewebs.com/ps3tf2/ Double-J
  
  Hmm, must just be me then. For some reason I got the impression that he was really enjoying his time in LA and would likely stay out there.
  
  Are the Red Sox serious bidders in this deal? I’m wondering where they’ll fit Teixiera in their infield with both Youkilis and Lowell holding the corners?
  - Alan
    
    I can only see the Red Sox being a major player for Tex if they can unload Lowell, which is highly likely given his contract and injury problems.
    - Alan
      
      unlikely**
Baseballnation

The Anegels will go 6/120, The Sox would probably go 6/130 and the yankees 7/140
- Murph1010
  
  You don’t know that, so prove it.
- Steve
  
  Please tell me when Theo Epstein has ever given a 6 year contract to any player, for any reason.
  
  I ask this because knowing a bit about Theo, he’s a big fan having flexibility with contracts and long term big $$ deals tend to tie your hands down the road. He refused to go past 3 years with Pedro and Damon, and hated the Manny contract from the day he inherited it.
  
  Also, Lowell is expected to be ready for opening day next year, and they have a stud 1B prospect in AA named Lars Anderson. So they not only have a 1B right now (Youkilis) but they have another one in the pipeline who’s very close to the bigs.
  
  I must admit I’m surprised that columnists who I respect (like Buster Onley) are buying into the Sox feigned interest in Tex. I don’t buy it for one second.
Mike Pop

We have about 65 mill to spennd right ? So how bout 22 for Tex over 7 years, CC for 23 over 6 yrs ? and the rest on either Burnett or Pettite or Dunn or Moose
- Mike Pop
  
  Its obvious CC and Tex are the keys to our offseason.. We have only been talking bout this for like 4 months lol.. We gottta sign em both
- http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones
  
  Or Manny.
  - Mike Pop
    
    agreed manny could be in there too
colin

what about trading for Swisher, he can play either RF or 1B, depending on whether or not we can get Tex
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones

Nick Swisher, 2008: .219/.332/.410

Nick Swisher, future contract obligations: ’09:$5.3M, ’10:$6.75M, ’11:$9M
- colin
  
  i base this comment on what i read in neyer’s blog:
  
  “apparently Nick Swisher is available, too. Well, I said teams would be lining up around the block for a shot at Vazquez, and I suspect the same might be true with Swisher. If you look at Swisher’s .219 batting average this year, you’d think he had a lousy season. You’d be right. But even more, it was an unlucky season. Swisher’s walk percentage, his strikeout percentage, his line-drive percentage … they were all right in line with his career norms. So what happened? He just hit too many atom (as in, “at ’em”) balls. Sometimes this happens, though usually not to Swisher’s extreme degree. Just watch. Next year, if he’s healthy, he’ll hit .250 and score 100 runs.”
  
  i doubt he could be that unlucky, but if he can have a bounceback season to 06/07 levels its worth a shot. he probably wouldnt cost much at this point
  - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones
    
    Meh, sure, if he comes cheap. I can’t see giving up anything of real value for Swisher, though.