Teixeira watch part IX....The final stages?

[33rdst]

I've just finished listening to an excellent interview on XM with the head coach of the Georgia Tech baseball team. What a record! 650 wins!!!!

He was asked about Tex's preference and he said that he is interested in staying on the east coast.

He said Tex told him that he not only wanted to meet with the GMs but he also wanted to meet with the owners of teams. He wanted to find out how committed they are to winning and doing what's necessary to bring a winner to their city.

The coach new a lot about Teixeira and absolutely loves the guy. He said that when he first saw Tex play he wrote next to his name "Too Good". He honestly thought Tex would go to the pros right out of high school.

What I found especially gratifying to here is that the coach clearly distinguished Tex as a Baltimore kid. One of the things that has irked me throughout this proces is the lack of knowledge they national press has about the geography of this area and the location of St. Joe's high school.

I learned alot more about Teixeira in this interview. It changed my mind about wanting to get him. Now I hope the O's can finish the deal and bring him on board. He'll definitely be worth it on many differnet levels.

[RedDevil00]

I'm not going to knock any source unless it is proven false.

The guy has a few posts there and doesn't have a reason to screw around...

So we'll see if what he says happens...

But isn't that the same guy who was saying we signed Tex a few days ago? The 3:00 announcement that never came?

[JTrea81]

You did not believe that did you??

It's plausible given the timeframe where we are at. We'll just have to see what happens. I'm not going to go crazy over it, but I wouldn't dismiss it right off...

[JTrea81]

But isn't that the same guy who was saying we signed Tex a few days ago? The 3:00 announcement that never came?

Things change all the time in a FO, we could have been close and then something else happened.

[Mike B]

There were a lot of seasons that Toronto thought they had a healthy AJ...and then they didn't.

You can say that about any player. Based on the pitchers in their rotation it is very strong. If injuries occur then that changes everything.

[davearm]

Why would an absence of rumors signal that a signing is imminent?

If anything I think recent events make this thing more likely to drag out awhile. Boras and Tex aren't going to be scared into accepting an offer that wasn't good enough for them last week or the week before. They'll just wait until the tide turns again, and some team feels inclined to step up and meet their price.

Don't underestimate the role that power and ego are playing in this saga.

[Dr. FLK]

You can say that about any player. Based on the pitchers in their rotation it is very strong. If injuries occur then that changes everything.

Not every player has the injury history of AJ.

[alskor]

Assuming they ink Manny

I don't get your points...

CC is the Ace... Burnett nor Wang have to be

Burnett (when healthy as I said) is a GREAT #2

Wang shouldn't be relied upon to be the Ace (as he has been in years past) but now he settles down into the #3 spot where he belongs

Joba could easily put up #2 like numbers and he'll make a great #4

You don't have to have 4 Aces to be the best rotation in baseball. The Yankees definitely have a shot with what they have.

Well, the Yankee defense will hurt these pitchers in a very real way. Its shocking how much of traditional pitching stats are attributable to team defense.

...but even if they all stay healthy I dont think those guys, as presently constructed have a chance to be the best rotation in baseball.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Would the Yankees, if they could, trade their rotation for Boston's (price not a factor even)? I say yes.

Beckett/Lester/Dice K is better than CC/Burnett/Joba(or Wang). Nevermind that you have to figure in 25% of Burnett and Joba's starts as replacement level. The Yankees dont have any half decent fall back options when Joba hits his innings limit, or if Hughes struggles, or when Burnett gets hurt, etc... Its Kennedy or Igawa. Whereas the Sox have some very good fallbacks in terms of Buchholz, Masterson and Bowden.

Jon Lester? 144 ERA+ in 08. I expect a regression from that - but not all that much. This guy has arrived. Dice K? 159 ERA+. 108 in 2007. Expect somewhere between those in 09 and he's still extremely likely to outperform Burnett or Joba/#3 slot, without even considering durability. Finally, Beckett. Even his down year this year his ERA+ was 115. I dont think any of us would be surprised if Beckett outperformed that. He wasnt healthy last year.

If we had to rank these six pitchers it would go:

CC

Beckett

Lester/Dice K

Dice K/Lester (I dont care and dont feel like debating it - theyre interchangeable and its not relevant to my point)

Burnett

Joba+100 IPs of Kennedy/Igawa/etc...

EDIT: And I dont think Boston has the top rotation in baseball - or even top 3. I dont think the Yanks are even close. Theyre better than last year - but not by as much as people think. Their pitching wasnt all that awful last year. Their offense was pretty bad and the pitching was surprisingly good. They lost Mussina and couldnt expect him to repeat that incredible performance anyway - that's why CC is only a slight bump. Ill give them another bump for Burnett - but theyre still behind Tampa... and Tampa aint a top 5 rotation.

[Enjoy Terror]

Sabathia was average at best playing with the Indians last year. Methinks his trip back to the AL (particularly the East part of it) will knock him down a peg or two.

[EOGDOT]

Why would an absence of rumors signal that a signing is imminent?

It would not.

[eastonguy]

As anybody been watching ESPNnews supposed they just said this:

showed a quote from Scott Boras saying Tex enjoyed his time in Anheim, blah, blah. And then they said the Red Sox said last week they would not be a factor leaving and I quote "the Maryland native with 2 choices. The Nationals and the Orioles".

I don't know if this is the truth.

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthread.php?t=177811

[PaulBako]

This doesn't belong here, but I didn't want to start a new thread.

What teams would want to trade for George Sherrill? I think we should trade him.

[BlackWillow]

Originally Posted by JTrea81

Well if Tex is on a plane with Boras for Baltimore to hammer out the final details' date=' one would think we'd hear something tonight.[/quote']

Maybe they just need to take a cake-break....

[isestrex]

Well, the Yankee defense will hurt these pitchers in a very real way. Its shocking how much of traditional pitching stats are attributable to team defense.

...but even if they all stay healthy I dont think those guys, as presently constructed have a chance to be the best rotation in baseball.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Would the Yankees, if they could, trade their rotation for Boston's (price not a factor even)? I say yes.

Beckett/Lester/Dice K is better than CC/Burnett/Joba(or Wang). Nevermind that you have to figure in 25% of Burnett and Joba's starts as replacement level. The Yankees dont have any half decent fall back options when Joba hits his innings limit, or if Hughes struggles, or when Burnett gets hurt, etc... Its Kennedy or Igawa. Whereas the Sox have some very good fallbacks in terms of Buchholz, Masterson and Bowden.

Jon Lester? 144 ERA+ in 08. I expect a regression from that - but not all that much. This guy has arrived. Dice K? 159 ERA+. 108 in 2007. Expect somewhere between those in 09 and he's still extremely likely to outperform Burnett or Joba/#3 slot, without even considering durability. Finally, Beckett. Even his down year this year his ERA+ was 115. I dont think any of us would be surprised if Beckett outperformed that. He wasnt healthy last year.

If we had to rank these six pitchers it would go:

CC

Beckett

Lester/Dice K

Dice K/Lester (I dont care and dont feel like debating it - theyre interchangeable and its not relevant to my point)

Burnett

Joba+100 IPs of Kennedy/Igawa/etc...

You conveniently left out Wang vs Wakefield in your matchup. And I think you're seriously undervaluing a healthy Burnett and overvaluing Lester

My ranks:

CC

Beckett

Burnett

Lester

Wang

Dice K

Joba

[isestrex]

Sabathia was average at best playing with the Indians last year. Methinks his trip back to the AL (particularly the East part of it) will knock him down a peg or two.

He won the Cy Young in the AL