Heyman: Yankees will pursue Teixeira hard...as we all expected, I suppose

[mweb]

No way the O's are going to be major palyers in Tex....... Do you honestly believe spending $25 million on Tex with the sorry ass pitching we have is a smart move?

I don't think spending 25 million on him is smart, but the pitching line doesn't hold water imo. Improving the team in any way for the present and future(as long as the cost makes sense) is a smart move. It would be great to improve the pitching as well obviously. However, Tex will likely get 7 or more years, I would guess that the pitching will improve a lot in that time span regardless of getting any top free agent pitchers this year.

[Satyr3206]

No way the O's are going to be major palyers in Tex....... Do you honestly believe spending $25 million on Tex with the sorry ass pitching we have is a smart move?

Then they better be ready to do some explaining to the fans. I can't remember another player that almost all Orioles fans want to see signed. You think attendance was bad this year? Wait until next year if they don't start shelling out some money on players the fans want and the team needs.

[JTrea81]

No way the O's are going to be major palyers in Tex....... Do you honestly believe spending $25 million on Tex with the sorry ass pitching we have is a smart move?

Yes because the pitching we have in the minors will eventually replace the sorry ass pitching we have and very soon.

We don't have Mark Teixeira in the minors.

The Orioles can afford Tex, although I've said I don't think he gets 25 million. Right now 10/230 lands him. All they have to do is make some other smart moves, like locking their good players up cheap and possibly raising ticket prices which they could justify if they signed some top talent. The Red Sox couldn't afford Manny and Pedro unless they raised ticket prices. I'll have no problems if the Orioles do the same.

[Mike B]

I'm sure Angelos will stretch the budget for Tex. The question is will MacPhail want to stretch it?

I just hope MacPhail isn't the reason we don't get Mark Teixeira...

To me that would undo all the good that he has done, if he passes on Tex because he's too frugal...

If he's not willing to spend on Tex, you can forget about keeping Markakis, Jones and Wieters...

Giving Tex a mega deal will not have anything to do with signing Markakis, unless we far overspend or do not improve the team in other ways. As for worrying about Jones, can we wait a year or two on that one and as for Wieters can we wait to worry about that one at least until he gets his first big league hit. I thiink AM will follow PA on Tex. I will be disappointed if we sign Tex to a 20 million plus deal and not do anything else of value.

[PaulFolk]

The Orioles are in the drivers seat for getting Tex. Nothing is going to change that unless the Orioles suddenly decide not to bid for him. The uncertainty in the financial world will also help the Orioles IMO.

A team with 11 straight losing seasons-- and counting-- isn't in the "driver's seat" for signing anyone, IMO. The O's certainly have the resources to go after Teixeira, but I wouldn't consider them the favorite to sign him by any means.

[Moose Milligan]

How many players do you think are turned off by a Hank Steinbrenner run Yankee team? My guess is that the Yankees will hit rock bottom because Hank will not be able to treat people with respect. Just a gut feeling but I think Hank will hurt is franchise.

Lord willing.

[Sports Guy]

No way the O's are going to be major palyers in Tex....... Do you honestly believe spending $25 million on Tex with the sorry ass pitching we have is a smart move?

He isn't going to cost 25 million a year and our pitching woes have nothing to do with us signing Tex.

Do you feel we'll go in the $20 million per season for Tex???? His negotiation will probably dran into 2009. We need to fill othere slots before that time.

Most big name clients are signed by the end of the winter meetings..Boras clients included.

[bej6789]

No way the O's are going to be major palyers in Tex....... Do you honestly believe spending $25 million on Tex with the sorry ass pitching we have is a smart move?

I'm not too sure how this can be said. Free agency hasn't started yet, and I'm not sure what "major player" means anyways in terms of the sweepstakes. Fisically? Yeah, we might not outbid the Yankees... but I wholeheartedly disagree with your notion that we won't be major players. While there's no exact way to tell how much of a role his hometown plays in his decision, I'm just not going to believe that us being in Baltimore and Peter Angelos offering a halfway decent contract won't put us in his top 3. That's a major player in my mind.

Salary figures per year being thrown around now are pointless, IMO. When he hits free agency, throwing $$$ is fine but lets not put ourself out of the bidding before it even starts.

The Orioles have pitching in the farm system, we're not signing CC Sabathia. The contract will be there for Tex, I don't think the same money would be made available if Tex wasn't a free agent.

[McNulty]

Without reading more than the first few posts in this thread, does anyone else think its funny that Heyman shares his name with the High School PE teacher that George Costanza got fired and had 'baked bean teeth'?

Everytime Heyman starts up the rumor mill, I can't stop thinking, "Can't stand ya...."

[Elbren]

Heyman is a joke and I'm not worried about the Yankees because Angelos will have MacPhail match or outbid them.

There is no way he will let Tex go to the Yankees. The Yankees won't go north of 25 million per season for Tex IMO and we can match that.

What in the world would make you think that Angelos would hand out a long term deal for $25 Mil. per year? This team has never even come close to that type of offer for any player. How many players have we had that even came close to $15 Mil. per year?

[JTrea81]

What in the world would make you think that Angelos would hand out a long term deal for $25 Mil. per year? This team has never even come close to that type of offer for any player. How many players have we had that even came close to $15 Mil. per year?

Because he wants Teixeira badly. And there's reason we haven't made an offer like that, and that's because those players were not Mark Teixeira. Angelos has been waiting for Tex to become a FA for some time now...

[Elbren]

Because he wants Teixeira badly. And there's reason we haven't made an offer like that, and that's because those players were not Mark Teixeira. Angelos has been waiting for Tex to become a FA for some time now...

Yeah, I think that Angelos wants him, but there's no way in the world that I believe that he's going to pay him $10 - $12 Mil. more per season than he's paid any player since he's bought the team ... all because he's "from around here."

It's just my opinion, but I can't see a guy who has been one of the biggest voices against todays big contracts handing out a deal even worth $20 Mil. per year. I definitely think this team will make an offer and may even offer a little more than some expect, but in the end, I just don't see him playing here.

[bej6789]

When did 25 million per season happen? Free agency hasn't started yet, debating whether or not Angelos will go 25 million a year is pointless. He's never paid that to a player before, but whens the last time a player of Tex's situation has hit free agency with this much money to burn? When Vlad hit free agency, the Orioles and Angelos went north of 100 million when nobody expected they would. The Orioles are capable of outbidding teams, and they certainly are capable of being much more serious than anyone would believe. Jason Schmidt comes to mind -- as well. The Orioles are going to be in it for Tex.

[Old#5fan]

Let the Yankees have him. Who cares. Just so they Yanks don't get pitching they are not a worry.

[JTrea81]

Let the Yankees have him. Who cares. Just so they Yanks don't get pitching they are not a worry.

The Yankees will get pitching no matter what. The Orioles actually have a chance to pry away Teixeira from them.

Do you really want to see Tex in Yankee pinstripes 19 games a year?

The thought of that makes me ill...