O's vs. Yankees for Teixeira?

[El Gordo]

(a) I think this has been covered and you are wrong, they can absolutely afford it.and

(b) If Teixeira is barely a top 5 why would the O's want to spend $25 mil on him (37% of our current payroll) or $20 million for that matter?

:scratchchinhmm:

You care to show me where this has been covered? And if you look at the FA for next year, you will see that they can't buy what isn't there. Plus, if you look at their farm system you will see that they don't have much to give up in trade. As for Tex, we need a good 1B more than they do. And because I would rate Pujols, Howard, Fielder, Morneau, Berkman ,Votto and Loney over him doesn't mean he isn't good.:rolleyestf:

[YankThis!]

I'm not so sure this is true. Next season if the MFY's resign Giambi, they will have 4 DH's, Damon, Matsui, Giambi and Posada, an aging declining SS, a poor hitting CF, need a LF, RF, C, 1B, two SP's and some middle RP's. They can't buy all of that. I don't think it will be such a good idea for them to spend $25 Mil+ on a 1B who is barely a top 5.

To reiterate my second point, and it makes sense for Baltimore to spend $25 million, why, because we are supposed to be closer than NYY? Not to mention the whole point of my earlier post that $25 mil is 12% of the NYY payroll and is over 20% of BAL's. Ya, roll your eyes at me. If you think NYY is going to give BAL a pass on Tex you're dreaming. Of course, we'll know for sure in about 9 months.

[YankThis!]

Yankees owe the following players the following amounts next year:

Rodriguez: $32M

Giambi: $5M (buyout)

Jeter: $20M

Rivera: $15M

Posada: $13.1M

Damon: $13M

Matsui: $13M

Pavano: $2M (buyout)

Igawa: $4M

Cano: $6M

Molina: $2M

The following will be arb eligible:

Wang ($4M in 2008)

Betemit ($1.2M in 2008)

Bruney ($.75M in 2008)

M.Cabrera ($.5M in 2008)

So thats about $140M (with arb estimates) for about 12 guys who will be on their roster (with Giambi, Pavano, and Igawa (minors) not on the team). They can probably add $90M to that and be ok.

To answer your first question...

[Mad Mark]

I'm not so sure this is true. Next season if the MFY's resign Giambi, they will have 4 DH's, Damon, Matsui, Giambi and Posada, an aging declining SS, a poor hitting CF, need a LF, RF, C, 1B, two SP's and some middle RP's. They can't buy all of that. I don't think it will be such a good idea for them to spend $25 Mil+ on a 1B who is barely a top 5.

I guess I should have qualified my statement with a caveat regarding there being product on the shelves for them to throw their $$$ at.

The point is that they're not going to get out-muscled in any fight where all they have to do is throw more money at the problem than the other guy.

[rjslomo]

I heard a reporter (sorry, I'm blanking on who but someone well known) that said he sat down for 90 minutes last week with one of the Steinbrenner brothers. He basically sounded like the Yanks won't be trading young talent and you might not see any huge free agent splashes due to the tremendous debt service that will come with the new stadium. Could be BS but maybe the Yanks resign Giambi cheaper and look to re-sign a few others

[rolliefingers]

Either way, I'll be glad when this is over...if we get him, great...if he goes elsewhere, that's fine too...at least the constant obsession with him will be over.

But then, it'll just be another obsession. So it goes.

[ElToro75]

Which ones? Here's a reality check for you, my friend:

2008 Orioles Payroll: $67 million

2008 Yankees Payroll: $209 million

If the Yankees offered Tex $25 million per that would represent 12% of their payroll.

What is Angelos' spending limit in a stadium that is half full 82 times a year? $110 million? Let's pretend its $110 million, which I think is liberal. $20 million a year would be 18% of our total payroll, 1/6th of our entire team.

If that's not David vs. Goliath then I don't know what is. Because the Yankee's are in a 25 million person market (larger really when you take all the transplants into account), they can afford to pay any player more money than Baltimore and still have it make sense financially. The ROI of adding a good player is simply higher in NY than in Baltimore. Period.

If the Yankee's want Tex, the bidding war is just a formality. Either we've already lost or we'll bury our franchise underneath one players salary. Outbidding the big market teams has been tried many times in the past and its been a futile decision by those teams that have succeeded.

The stadium won't be 1/2 full if we sign Tex. I'm sure that if Angelos is going to shell out that kind of money, he's planning on a boost in attendance. Take that and what MacPhail has already done so far (and will do this off season) and I'm fairly certain that attendance goes up.

I would imagine that with the increased revenue of higher attendance our payroll will start increasing as well. Not into the Yankees league, but I would guess in the $120 million range and maybe higher as they start playing better and start reaching the playoffs.

Just because the Yankees want Tex does not make it a formality that they land Tex. FA's don't flock there like they used to, and depending how this season pans out the Orioles may very well have a better five+ year plan in place then the Yankees.

[DallasOsFan]

I brought this up a few weeks ago. The OH will turn on him worse than they did against Moose. There is not a doubt in my mind about that!

Do we have to wait until he signs with the MFYankees to turn on him?

A lot of the Rangers were thrilled when Texas traded him out of town. Several players were quoted — anonymously, of course — as saying he was an overrated prima donna who acted like Barry Bonds around the clubhouse and thought he was perfect. For $20 million a year? No thanks.

[elsid]

Do we have to wait until he signs with the MFYankees to turn on him?

A lot of the Rangers were thrilled when Texas traded him out of town. Several players were quoted — anonymously, of course — as saying he was an overrated prima donna who acted like Barry Bonds around the clubhouse and thought he was perfect. For $20 million a year? No thanks.

Yeah, same as I heard. Much more fun clubhouse, relaxed, now. He wanted the media attention just like Bonds. I think he has changed a little being in ATL, as I don't think Bobby Cox would take any crap.

[RShack]

Yeah, same as I heard. Much more fun clubhouse, relaxed, now. He wanted the media attention just like Bonds.

If that's really true, then NYC is the place for him. However, I wish we knew more about this that wasn't just rumorama.

I think he has changed a little being in ATL, as I don't think Bobby Cox would take any crap.

Cox seems like somebody's uncle on TV. He respects the players, they respect him, etc., etc.

But evidently, if it's behind closed doors and the media's gone, he's quite capable of tearing somebody a new one...

[utvolzac]

I shutter to think what would happen if Angelos loses his mind and offers Teixeira an ARod sized contract.

I don't think theres anyway that doesn't end badly for us. I fear we would be the Texas Rangers during the ARod Era. We'd have Teixiera and not be able to afford anyone else.

I'm basing that on what I realistically consider as a high end payroll for the O's. I figure we can handle $100 million. If we spend 25 or more million a year, a 4th of our payroll will be tied up in one player. I don't like those odds.

[geschinger]

The stadium won't be 1/2 full if we sign Tex. I'm sure that if Angelos is going to shell out that kind of money, he's planning on a boost in attendance. Take that and what MacPhail has already done so far (and will do this off season) and I'm fairly certain that attendance goes up.

I would imagine that with the increased revenue of higher attendance our payroll will start increasing as well. Not into the Yankees league, but I would guess in the $120 million range and maybe higher as they start playing better and start reaching the playoffs.

Just because the Yankees want Tex does not make it a formality that they land Tex. FA's don't flock there like they used to, and depending how this season pans out the Orioles may very well have a better five+ year plan in place then the Yankees.

Tex is a decent ballplayer but he's not going to be a one man draw. Sure, signing him will get people excited and they might sell a few thousand more season tickets and there will be a short term bump. But for the long term all that matters is winning. If acquiring Tex means tying up too much of the team's payroll resources in one player then the team will suffer and they won't win. Tex + a non winning team doth not equate to an attendance boom over the long haul.

[geschinger]

I shutter to think what would happen if Angelos loses his mind and offers Teixeira an ARod sized contract.

I don't think theres anyway that doesn't end badly for us. I fear we would be the Texas Rangers during the ARod Era. We'd have Teixiera and not be able to afford anyone else.

I'm basing that on what I realistically consider as a high end payroll for the O's. I figure we can handle $100 million. If we spend 25 or more million a year, a 4th of our payroll will be tied up in one player. I don't like those odds.

That's the key question... What percentage of payroll should the Orioles be willing to go. They aren't going to win with 20-25% of the team's payroll tied up in a player of Tex's caliber.

[blueberryale77]

If that's really true, then NYC is the place for him. However, I wish we knew more about this that wasn't just rumorama.

I know the players quoted were anonymous, but I doubt a newspaper printed quotes that didn't come from actual sources. Well, unless it was the LA Times making up names for the Grimsley affidavit.

Cox seems like somebody's uncle on TV. He respects the players, they respect him, etc., etc.

But evidently, if it's behind closed doors and the media's gone, he's quite capable of tearing somebody a new one...

Why is Cox's purported personality behind closed doors "evident" while Teixeira's is "rumorama"? It seems to me the levels of evidence of these things are quite similar.

[blueberryale77]

I shutter to think what would happen if Angelos loses his mind and offers Teixeira an ARod sized contract.

I don't think theres anyway that doesn't end badly for us. I fear we would be the Texas Rangers during the ARod Era. We'd have Teixiera and not be able to afford anyone else.

I'm basing that on what I realistically consider as a high end payroll for the O's. I figure we can handle $100 million. If we spend 25 or more million a year, a 4th of our payroll will be tied up in one player. I don't like those odds.

No matter how much money you had available, $25+ million a year for Teixeira would be beyond the extreme of stupidity. I can't even allow myself to imagine that Orioles management would be capable of that.