The Teixeira Watch: Part V - AM says the O's "have flexibility" on Tex

[Doyle Hargraves]

Absolutely. I'll even bring back my old Quagmire avatar, which everyone seems to miss.

I'm not holding my breath though.

The only way I maintain my sanity is by visualizing that it is Quagmire inside the bag.

[JDadd9]

I don't know much about Teixeira but I wonder how important status is to him. Those who suggest that he would be just another star in Boston are not wrong. He would be well received and is the kind of player who is very popular in Boston but he would own Baltimore.

Who wouldn't want that? Especially playing for the team you grew up rooting for. To this day, and now I am REALLY showing my age here, Tony Conigliaro is one of my all time favorite Red Sox. Why? He was one of the game's fastest rising young stars but, more importantly, he grew up just north of Boston.

Great...now I'm thinking Tex is going to sign with Baltimore. I'm bumming myself out

What are you hearing from the media there? The only thing I hear is that the Sox won't go above like 8 years or something like that...and we still have the "WOW" offer which will be 8 years or more

[Redsoxfaninnh]

That's the beauty of MASN... What the cable companies want doesn't really matter in the end... MASN takes them to court and forces them to carry them and pay the freight. It's a great racket and the providers take the PR hit when they are forced to raise rates.

OT but is Debbie Wrobleski still with MASN? She grew up in New Hampshire and I met her while covering a Pats exhibition game for a local newspaper I once worked for...she was a sweetie.

[alskor]

Don't you think it's more a win in 2-4 years move?

I don't like how specific that target is. Especially with the potential opt-out.

I think FA acquisitions should always be win now. I think the Tigers gambled and got away with it, when they bought a year early on Maggs. But they got him at a discount due to injury - we worked the discount angle, but it's not really there anymore...

Well, that's kind of a good argument to not go so hard after a free agent... I agree free agent moves should almost always be "win now". The exception would be value signings. The O's giving Tex 200 mill is neither.

If there was a hometown or other discount with Tex it would be very different, but its really hard to justify going nuts to get him, and that appears to be what it will take now...

[Redsoxfaninnh]

What are you hearing from the media there? The only thing I hear is that the Sox won't go above like 8 years or something like that...and we still have the "WOW" offer which will be 8 years or more

That's pretty much all I have heard too. Most of the media seems to believe that Teixeira will sign with the Sox because it makes sense...the Sox have the need and the resources. They usually get their man in those circumstances. Yet, there has been nothing in the way of leaks or insider reports here at all.

[JTrea81]

I don't know much about Teixeira but I wonder how important status is to him. Those who suggest that he would be just another star in Boston are not wrong. He would be well received and is the kind of player who is very popular in Boston but he would own Baltimore.

Not to mention the Sox fans would turn on Tex the minute he started slumping or not being productive. Bandwagon Nation chews players up and spits them out.

[JDadd9]

That's pretty much all I have heard too. Most of the media seems to believe that Teixeira will sign with the Sox because it makes sense...the Sox have the need and the resources. They usually get their man in those circumstances. Yet, there has been nothing in the way of leaks or insider reports here at all.

I don't think that leaves a good feeling in either of our stomachs...

[YaBoyTopher]

If i put myself in Texs shoes and i have an offer of 7/160 from the O's my hometown team, the team i grew up loving.

And i also had a contract from the nats or red sox for 180/8 or even 10/200.

I would still take the O's offer, i mean seriously what is the huge difference between 160m and 180m? i mean come on either way you are set for life and never have to worry about money again.

Maybe im just old school and i put more stock in playing for the team you love then guys do now a days.

With that said if i was Tex i would want to get as much money as i possibly could FROM the O's, but aslong as they were in the ball park my name would be signed on the dotted line.

So we will see how big a fan he really is/was depending if he signs here or not.

[Lucky Jim]

Well, that's kind of a good argument to not go so hard after a free agent... I agree free agent moves should almost always be "win now". The exception would be value signings. The O's giving Tex 200 mill is neither.

If there was a hometown or other discount with Tex it would be very different, but its really hard to justify going nuts to get him, and that appears to be what it will take now...

Yep. My feelings exactly.

Tough not to get caught up in the excitement. I feel like a kid watching his father play poker and he's just bet their house. I mean, I'm excited about the possibilities, but...

[Redsoxfaninnh]

Not to mention the Sox fans would turn on Tex the minute he started slumping or not being productive. Bandwagon Nation chews players up and spits them out.

Who have we done that to??

[alskor]

They aren't done yet and won't be especially after adding Tex.

There are still plenty of pitchers out there to sign for the rotation.

See? You are all about "win now" - Not that there's anything wrong with that, and obviously Tex fits that need. Youve created a scenario where - to justify signing Tex - the O's need to go out and sign even more free agents. That's a great way to end up with a stretch of 85 win teams... the O's have been down that road and it leads nowhere, IMHO.

AND if were going down that road we may as well discuss trading Tillman, Arrieta, etc...

Personally, If I I was Andy McPhail I would be focused on building around the young guys. You cant hedge your bets. You're all in or you're all out.

[Lucky Jim]

That's pretty much all I have heard too. Most of the media seems to believe that Teixeira will sign with the Sox because it makes sense...the Sox have the need and the resources. They usually get their man in those circumstances. Yet, there has been nothing in the way of leaks or insider reports here at all.

From a purely economic perspective it does. This is a crazy negotiation because there are lot of difficult to quantify variables. We've been burned in the opposite direction before (sort-of: see, Konerko, Vlad), and I think it's understandable that the Sox are confident.

They can't go arbitrarily identifying a $$$ value for Teix to play near home - they'll end up with an unreasonable, baseless escalation of their offer. On the other hand, that doesn't give much of a foundation for confidence.

[jcroemer]

See? You are all about "win now" - Not that there's anything wrong with that, and obviously Tex fits that need. Youve created a scenario where - to justify signing Tex - the O's need to go out and sign even more free agents. That's a great way to end up with a stretch of 85 win teams... the O's have been down that road and it leads nowhere, IMHO.

AND if were going down that road we may as well discuss trading Tillman, Arrieta, etc...

Personally, If I I was Andy McPhail I would be focused on building around the young guys. You cant hedge your bets. You're all in or you're all out.

I think this is more about what PA wants than AM. PA's wanted this a long time.

[LAOSfan]

Who have we done that to??

I did hear some boos from the Fenway faithful late last season directed at Big Papi.

[JTrea81]

Who have we done that to??

Curt Schilling would be an example.