Rosenthal on Tex and the Orioles

[fearthenoodle]

Homecoming for Tex?

Andy MacPhail, the Orioles' president of baseball operations, is not the type to set industry standards in the free-agent market. But when it comes to the Braves' Mark Teixeira, Orioles owner Peter Angelos might prod MacPhail to make an exception.

Angelos long has coveted Teixeira, who grew up in Severna Park, Md., a suburb of Baltimore. The Mets or Yankees remain far more likely to pay Teixeira top dollar, but the Orioles could cite several factors in justifying a mammoth bid for the switch-hitting, Gold Glove first baseman this winter.

Of course, even with all those arguments for signing Teixeira, Angelos might not be willing to meet the price of the player's agent, Scott Boras. Teixeira rejected a reported eight-year, $140 million offer from the Rangers before getting traded to the Braves last summer. His likely asking price will be eight years, $160 million.

[clapdiddy]

I think 8/160 is ridiculous, and I hope we don't bid on him if the offers get that high.

I'd love to see Tex here, but I don't think he's worth that much. If that's the case, maybe we'd FINALLY go acquire a young first baseman.

[bej6789]

20 million a season? I don't think thats bad at all. With that contract, the Orioles still wouldn't be above 100 million in payroll after all the contracts they're shedding.

[Sports Guy]

I think 8/160 is ridiculous, and I hope we don't bid on him if the offers get that high.

I'd love to see Tex here, but I don't think he's worth that much. If that's the case, maybe we'd FINALLY go acquire a young first baseman.

Don't worry, no one will go that crazy either and if they do, Tex can go there.

But i am not worried about that.

[Mackus]

If the asking is 8/$160M, then I'm pretty excited. I was thinking that is what it would ultimately take to land Teixeira, not what Boras would start out demanding.

If he's hoping for 8/$160M, then something like 7/$126M might be doable ($18M per) or even 6/$120M ($20M per). I'd be fine with a deal like that for Tex. Other than Markakis and Roberts, nobody on our squad will be making over $8M or so in year six of that deal (unless we sign other big deals) so we should have plenty of salary space throughout the duration of that contract.

Plus, if Tex continues to struggle (although he had a 3 HR game this weekend) then his price tag will fall even a bit further.

[Sports Guy]

20 million a season? I don't think thats bad at all. With that contract, the Orioles still wouldn't be above 100 million in payroll after all the contracts they're shedding.

Its the 8 years that are the problem.

[Hank Scorpio]

Don't worry, no one will go that crazy either and if they do, Tex can go there.

But i am not worried about that.

Do you think Tex will be here next year?

[Sports Guy]

Do you think Tex will be here next year?

Yes I do.....

[clapdiddy]

Its the 8 years that are the problem.

Exactly....that was my point. I wouldn't mind a 6/120 deal, but those 2 extra years are what get me.

I wouldn't mind if they were option years with a buyout....just not guaranteed.

[TonySoprano]

Do you think Tex will be here next year?

Yes....

when the Yankees visit that is.

We hear that Angelos is willing to "break the bank" for Teixeira but IMO, Angelos doesn't have a real sense of how big that "bank" can get. When Boras tells him, Angelos may be putting away his hammer.

[ChaosLex]

Don't forget this snippet from the article as well.

The Orioles would love to move two of their veteran relievers, lefty Jamie Walker and righty Chad Bradford. Walker and Bradford are specialists whose inability to work multiple innings forces manager Dave Trembley to overuse younger pitchers such as Jim Johnson and Matt Albers. The biggest obstacle for the Orioles: Both Walker and Bradford are signed through 2009.

[J.D.]

Yes....

when the Yankees visit that is.

We hear that Angelos is willing to "break the bank" for Teixeira but IMO, Angelos doesn't have a real sense of how big that "bank" can get. When Boras tells him, Angelos may be putting away his hammer.

I think the length of contract might scare him off, too. Honestly, I'm not even thinking it'll be the sheer dollar figure that does it "though it won't help."

6/100 or 6/110 is sane. Anything longer or more expensive than that and I begin to wonder how long it'll take for the contract to be an albatross.

[Hank Scorpio]

Yes I do.....

That's interesting.

I completely understand the local fascination with Teixeira. I just shudder when I see an 8 year contract.

That is a looooooooooooooong time.

[Mackus]

I think the length of contract might scare him off, too. Honestly, I'm not even thinking it'll be the sheer dollar figure that does it "though it won't help."

6/100 or 6/110 is sane. Anything longer or more expensive than that and I begin to wonder how long it'll take for the contract to be an albatross.

When you sign guys to long-term deals, you have to expect that the last year will be terrible. That's just the way they work. And most likely the 2nd to last will be a pretty bad contract (although the player might still be passable, just not elite).

If we get 4-5 years of AS-level performance out of Teixeira, then a 6/$120 or 7/$126M type deal would certainly have to be considered a good signing.

Just be smart about the money, and have the resources to eat a lot at the back end to trade him or be able to afford the albatross. Backload the deal and lower the net present value so that you have extra cash on hand to afford the hit the final year or two.

[Sports Guy]

That's interesting.

I completely understand the local fascination with Teixeira. I just shudder when I see an 8 year contract.

That is a looooooooooooooong time.

I don't see anyone offering 8 guaranteed years....I don't want to offer more than 6 guaranteed years personally.