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

[jcroemer]

Let's not foget that tomorrow is December 23rd. Why is it so hard to believe that Mark is home for the holidays?

Because his wife is from Atlanta and it's probably easier to have everyone fly in when you have two kids under 3 and an MLB contract?

[geschinger]

There is absolutely no way they are going to sign Tex with the contract they have versus what Boston is offering....All I am saying is put yourself on a level playing field with Boston...Then, from there you can what Boston will do if they are getting the idea that Tex will sign here.

Offering what everyone else is offering has nothing to do with succumbing to pressure. It is just leveling the playing field.

I'm saying you are better off waiting it out until Boras decides to get serious at which point the bump to match Boston + additional monies to beat their offer which would likely be a much more effective approach than this incremental game of bid/match/bid/match.

[bird watcher]

Isn't that called tampering?

I am sure Boras would like to think it is.

[OrioleBird79]

Just floating something out there...

If Boras was really intent on putting Tex in a Boston jersey, wouldn't it make more sense to try to get Manny to the Yankees first? That way, Tex becomes the retaliatory strike.

It's far fetched, but what the hell else do we have to talk about besides rampant speculation at this point?

I was thinking the same thing. If Manny got 3/70 it would bode well for Teixeira getting 8/180. I do not think that Manny needs Teixeira to frive up his price. It is the guys like Adam Dunn who make a little more when Teixeira signs a big deal.

[emmett16]

Let's not foget that tomorrow is December 23rd. Why is it so hard to believe that Mark is home for the holidays?

Home as in Dallas or Arizona?

[Mackus]

Just floating something out there...

If Boras was really intent on putting Tex in a Boston jersey, wouldn't it make more sense to try to get Manny to the Yankees first? That way, Tex becomes the retaliatory strike.

It's far fetched, but what the hell else do we have to talk about besides rampant speculation at this point?

The idea that Boras is "intent" on putting Tex in any particular location is utterly absurd.

Boras wants only one thing, to get the most money possible. Where that happens to be is secondary at best.

[JTrea81]

"Agreeing to terms" doesn't mean sign anything. You don't have to "be in town" to sign a final contract. Tex likely won't be taking a physical as a contingency of a deal.

Tex will most certainly be taking a physical because ever since the Xavier Hernandez fiasco, Angelos requires all players to take physicals...

If Izturis took one, Tex is going to have to take one...

[Sports Guy]

I'm saying you are better off waiting it out until Boras decides to get serious at which point the bump to match Boston + additional monies to beat their offer which would likely be a much more effective approach than this incremental game of bid/match/bid/match.

But what if you bump it too much?

Maybe if both Boston and us were offering 8/170, he signs here.

Perhaps you bump it to 8/180 and didn't need to go that high?

[OrioleBird79]

Because his wife is from Atlanta and it's probably easier to have everyone fly in when you have two kids under 3 and an MLB contract?

It is about a 70 minute flight, I have had kids under 3 on flights to and from Japan. If I was getting rady to sign I would want to work out the details in person. I owe the team trying to sign at least a small courtesy.

[peter snees]

Sheesh, this feels like a rerun of the runup to the Iraq war. Seriously, though, I do have confidential information that Scott Boras has weapons of mass destruction, or at least WMD program-related activities. (I keed, I keed.)

The Baseball Prospectus thing that was posted yesterday really got me jazzed about the prospect of Tex playing for us, but it won't be the end of the world if he doesn't. I feel that way, in part, because the BP thing made it clear that this team is pretty close to being something special: Roberts, Jones, Weiters, Markakis, Tillman, Arrieta, Matusz. Having Teixeira in that mix would be nice, but I think you could then trade an Erbe or a Spoone for a big bat, and still have the likes of Bergesen and Hernandez left over to trade for other needs.

We're getting close, with or without Teixeira.

[jcroemer]

It is about a 70 minute flight, I have had kids under 3 on flights to and from Japan. If I was getting rady to sign I would want to work out the details in person. I owe the team trying to sign at least a small courtesy.

Fair enough. I have a feeling that if the Orioles don't wrap up Tex tomorrow that they may not. The Yankees will get involved and it'll become a New York/Boston thing and we don't really want any part of that. We'll see. Let's hope there's news soon.

[Mackus]

Sheesh, this feels like a rerun of the runup to the Iraq war. Seriously, though, I do have confidential information that Scott Boras has weapons of mass destruction, or at least WMD program-related activities. (I keed, I keed.)

That Agent tried to kill my father!!

[AdamPacmanJones]

Maybe they will announce it tomorrow or Wednesday and give us o's fan a great present for Xmas.

[cjblackbird]

It is about a 70 minute flight, I have had kids under 3 on flights to and from Japan. If I was getting rady to sign I would want to work out the details in person. I owe the team trying to sign at least a small courtesy.

That isnt how this business works. If Mark accepts he will be faxed a sign sheet with the agreed upon deal then fly to Baltimore or where ever to take a physical and be introduced to the media. Going into a meeting room with an agent and team is usually chaos, add in the risk of upsetting the player and it's easy to see why management trys to stay away from players unless it is a gauging interest type of meeting.

[Cire]

How could it possibly be tampering to be dealing with a free agent?

So he is allowed to negotiate with teams without the presence of Boras?