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Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports a mutual interest between the Washington Nationals and talented free agent Mark Teixeira. "[Maryland] is his home," mentions an anonymous source in Ladson's article. The source also sets Miguel Cabrera's eight-year, $153MM deal as a benchmark for Teixeira's next contract.
Presumably, any hometown discount afforded the Nationals would also apply to the Baltimore Orioles, another team widely assumed to be on Teixeira's short list of favorable destinations.
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He'll be a Red Sox.
Posted by: soxcurse | November 19, 2008 at 08:44 PM
Neither team is even remotely close to contending.
Posted by: studio179 | November 19, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Then go to Baltimore.
Posted by: yankfan1 | November 19, 2008 at 08:46 PM
wouldn't it be hysterical if he signed with the Nats and blew off the Red Sox, Yankees and Angels?
Posted by: philsWSchamps | November 19, 2008 at 08:47 PM
If he wants to play near maryland.
Posted by: yankfan1 | November 19, 2008 at 08:47 PM
If the numbers are close, and he doesn't mind waiting around to be on a team that MIGHT compete in a few years, why not sign with the Nats or the O's?
Posted by: mford | November 19, 2008 at 08:48 PM
well, "a person familiar with Teixeira's thinking" should know! Only in baseball hot stove can journalists get away with this kind of "attribution."
Anyway, having followed Tex to and from Atlanta, I'm convinced that he will go where he makes the most money. Now, that might not be just salary... it might include potential promotional contracts, etc. But ultimately, he will follow the money, and that probably doesn't lead to DC or Baltimore.
Posted by: AtlantaMike | November 19, 2008 at 08:52 PM
go for it nats..scare the NL East with that acquisition lol
Posted by: HiHaters6 | November 19, 2008 at 08:52 PM
I will laugh hysterically if he signs with the Nats...
Posted by: start_wearing_purple | November 19, 2008 at 08:53 PM
I, living in Maryland and being somewhat Yankee-friendly, hope that Tex signs with Nats if Yankees don't offer him anything
Posted by: The Goggles Do Nothing | November 19, 2008 at 08:59 PM
Get 1 good pitcher before breaking the bank on a 20mil 1B, especially when you already have Nick Johnson and Young. Extend the youngsters who are performing well. Tex isn't going to increase attendance anymore than Soriano did. They are also idiots for not trading Soriano when they had the chance.
Posted by: Land-Man | November 19, 2008 at 09:03 PM
No way in Hades does Peter Angelos let Tex become a National.
He doesn't want to lose more of the fanbase, so you can bet he'll top any offer the Nationals throw out there, and Tex won't take less to play for the worst team in baseball.
Posted by: jtrea81 | November 19, 2008 at 09:09 PM
Well i remember reading a couple of yrs ago or so he would like to play close to home..... I don't know if its true now. But if he wants to go home he will, its not up to his agent.... So we shall see.
Posted by: elcaballofan4eva | November 19, 2008 at 09:14 PM
I read somewhere that Tex is a very loyal "union savvy" kind of guy who would berate players who turned down bigger contracts to play somewhere else. He and Scott Boras, IMO, are going to go where the biggest dollars are. It's almost a no brainer that the Yanks need him but I think Cash saw the writing on the wall and will only bite if his asking price comes down some. But I can't see him and Boras leaving millions on the table from whoever offers the most.
Posted by: YanksFanSince78 | November 19, 2008 at 09:25 PM
I also live in Baltimore and I think that Tex knows that he will get the most endorsements in Baltimore. Being a season ticket holder for 5 years now the clamor for Tex has grown in the park and all throughout Baltimore year by year. If and that is a big IF he comes here he will be the hero of the franchise and no matter what the results are on the field he will never be booed or mistreated. Having gone to High School with him for 3 years I know that Tex was a big Orioles fan and his dream was always to come here.
Posted by: rebuilding | November 19, 2008 at 09:30 PM
I don't know. Hard to take comments like this at face value. The more suitors, the more bidding, the more valuable he becomes... even if HE personally says he's interested in Washington or Baltimore, you've got to take that with a grain of salt.
Posted by: google_bought | November 19, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Tex will mroe llikely go to the orioles than the NAtionals. Regardless, either team is gonna have to pay some serious $$$$ to land him, excluding the hometown vibe.
also, Land-Man, The nationals have good pitchiing Up and coming. Jordan Zimmerman (who is expected to be in the 2009 rotation) is one of thier top pitching prospects. Olsen will be a consistent innigns eater for the nationals and Lannan was very effective last year (he just didnt have the run support). Lannan is a potential ace. Beyond those 3 though, things get a bit iffy. I like Tim Redding as a #3 or 4 starter but he needs to stay consistent. I get the feeling the nats will star 2009 with some rotation resembling this: Olsen, Lannan,Redding, J. Zimmerman, hill/bergmann/balester.
I wouldn't be surprised if we see Detwiler or some other highly touted pitching prospect in the rotation this season. I still think Shairon Martis is too young for the rotation.
IF , and thats a big IF, the Nats landd Tex, Nick Johnson is the backup, with out a doubt as they demoted Young to AAA a few weeks ago
Posted by: phoenix88 | November 19, 2008 at 09:37 PM
I like ALex Walsh! He is MLBTRs 2nd best writer behind Tim when he's on. Fantastic day with both of you guys manning the site today.
Posted by: ballerwhiteboy | November 19, 2008 at 09:47 PM
teix will just as soon go to the ravens to play right tackle than play 1b for either of those teams.
Posted by: the_kid_01 | November 19, 2008 at 09:51 PM
As of right now, there is no way he doesn't end up an Oriole, they will not and can not let him get away...
Posted by: fearthechant | November 19, 2008 at 09:58 PM
"I think angels take Tex and washington takes dunn and Griffey and gets pitching and becomes a playoff contender"
Why would Washington want both of these guys? Dunn--maybe. Griffey--no chance.
Posted by: mford | November 19, 2008 at 10:02 PM
This is called shrewd negotiations. No disrespect to Washington or Baltimore but those have to be two of the worst franchises in baseball right now. Why would a top shelf player want to play for either team - hoping that in a few years they could be good.
I don't buy it for one second. By bringing in Washington and Baltimore Boras will use these teams to drive a higher price for the Yanks/Sox/Angels.
Posted by: bjsguess | November 19, 2008 at 10:03 PM
the nats didn't even exist when Tex lived in Maryland he's obviously an Orioles fan. This was more his way of saying that the Orioles (and I guess the Nats assuming the O's werent interested even though they are) aren't crazy for thinking there's an option for a hometown discount (or at least possibility he comes here). Not to mention Mt St Joe (his high school) is located in Catonsville which is like right outside Baltimore. This is just an instance of a DC reporter asking the right questions...
Posted by: Markakis21 | November 19, 2008 at 10:03 PM
I guess only time will tell, I think he won't sign till at least Dec 3rd and it will be what I expect...... Baltimore
Posted by: fearthechant | November 19, 2008 at 10:09 PM
this is just bill ladson being a biased homer again... all this source said was that he might want to play at home and ladson takes that as wanting to play for the nationals. considering washington wasn't even his home, bill ladson is an idiot
Posted by: #1O'sfan | November 19, 2008 at 10:14 PM
If he signs with his hometown team to be closer to his family, then he will be scolded by you guys for not caring about winning. If he signs for the highest bidder but a losing team, you'll criticize him for being a shallow player who only cares for money.
It's almost as if, most of you want him to sign with the Yankees or Boston, teams with lotsa money and chances to win already. The rich get richer. What ever happened to being loyal to your hometown team? Even players can be fans too.
Posted by: basemonkey | November 19, 2008 at 10:20 PM
"Washington takes dunn and Griffey and gets pitching and becomes a playoff contender"
That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Posted by: Land-Man | November 19, 2008 at 10:20 PM
I would imagine that he'd have a bigger chance signing with the Orioles than Nats. Orioles are probably more willing to dish out the money and more likely to even have a winning record than the Nats. Either way, I see this guy ending up with the Angels or Yankees.
Posted by: Umair | November 19, 2008 at 10:20 PM
negotiations are bound to hit a snag when they ask teix, upon signing, to simultaneously play first, shortstop, left, and pitch 4 out of 5 days.
Posted by: the_kid_01 | November 19, 2008 at 10:23 PM
All that is simply going on is the DC media along with Jim Bowden trying to put the pressure on MacPhail and Angelos. Realistically, the Nats do need a 1B but I don't think Tex and Boras have the returned interest personally other than using them to draw up the price. There is a reason he didn't resign with the Braves, after all he went to Georgia Tech, in addition the same can be said for why he didnt sign with the Angels because you know they have made him offers after they acquired him. The reason is quite simple for the last three years there has been a saga around him and his love for Maryland, the question is does he come... I think it is between the Orioles and maybe the Redsox, being they drafted him out of High School with the Nationals being the third wheel. Gotta love the holidays.. HAHA
Posted by: fearthechant | November 19, 2008 at 10:25 PM
Cards sign Trever Miller pending physical on Thursday, no link to it yet but Bernie Miklasz reported it over at his forum.
Posted by: Cardsfan387 | November 19, 2008 at 10:40 PM
I wouldn't criticize anyone for wanting to play for a home team.
That said, Tex has said that it is all about winning. You can't go to the Orioles or the Nationals and assume you will win.
This stuff about playing by home is generally blown out of proportion. There are some players that value that comfort over money. Not many, especially not many who are looking to land their once in lifetime contract. Not many who have an agent named Scott Boras. Not many who toe the Union line like Tex.
Washington or Baltimore is a pipe dream unless the money is just absurd. In which case the entire team would suffer, not benefit, from having Tex on the squad.
Posted by: bjsguess | November 19, 2008 at 11:29 PM
bjsguess is bang-on
if this was the end of his career, maybe
just my impression of the player is that the angels would be stupid, yea, he'll put up numbers: but cold, calculating isn't what they need
mercenaries can work with the yankees and bosox
the angels need – to quote rod stewart from long ago – PASSION
Posted by: crash | November 20, 2008 at 12:55 AM
redundancy:
typekey sux
Posted by: crash | November 20, 2008 at 12:57 AM
Well, the supposed talk is that the Orioles are about to launch a real personalized pitch to Tex which may involve Jim Palmer and Cal Ripken. Those guys are likely to have been his boyhood gods growing up. Now if you were a player coming up in the 70s as a Yankee fan, came of age in the 80s, and, say, Mickey Mantle comes and hangs out with you for a day and talks about the daily life of being a Yankee, to try to get you to sign with the Yankees (which weren't good teams in the 80s), you would still think long and hard about it. The issue with being a fan is that pure logic has little to do with it. A lot of it is based on an oftentimes irrational wish.
If this was a pure logic problem simply about winning, then the Red Sox, Yankees, and Angels would be the easy choice. End of story. The other issues that we seem to downplay and not have so much access to is the human factors in these deals. For instance a lot of times a major factor in why some Latin players go to certain markets is because of the pre-existing Latin communities that already reside there. Ichiro had many clubs courting his services, but he chose Seattle because of the prevalent Japanese community there. This stuff does matter.
Posted by: basemonkey | November 20, 2008 at 01:03 AM
The Orioles are a bad team right now at the majors but they do have something brewing in the farm. It's fairly known in minor league following community. It's not a deep-seeded hopeless abyss like the Nats, Pirates, or KC are. Right now they have Markakis, Guthrie, and Jones in the majors. In the minors they have perhaps even better young guys in Wieters, Tillman, Matusz, and Arrieta.
Posted by: basemonkey | November 20, 2008 at 01:07 AM
basemonkey - I don't think we are that far apart in our evaluations. I do think that Baltimore is headed in the right direction. They do have a good group coming and have some good pieces the build around. But, under the best of circumstances the O's are still several years away. Is Tex really going to want to play for a last place team for the next few years?
More importantly, is it in the best interest of Orioles to lock Tex down right now? Personally, I think they need to wait until they are closer. There are plenty of good 1B that are projected to be available in a year or two. Why not save your $40m and put it towards the next great FA 1B following the '10 offseason?
Posted by: bjsguess | November 20, 2008 at 01:25 AM
If they didn't have Young and Johnson I'd say go for it. Does Jim Bowden know that that half of a baseball team is pitching? When was the last time he acquired a pitcher remotely near MLB ready?
Posted by: insomniac | November 20, 2008 at 02:05 AM
Why not sign with the Nats you know that if they are not good in the next year or two you will get traded anyway. I can't see why anyone would be mad if he signed with the Nats.
Posted by: BucSox | November 20, 2008 at 03:34 AM
I lied Red Sox, Mets, Yankee, and Cubs fans will be mad because they think every good player should be on their team and be thankful that they were afforded the oppurtunity to play for their glorious organizations.
Posted by: BucSox | November 20, 2008 at 03:36 AM
I'm a Mets fan, but a DC resident. And having been to a number of Nats games last season, I can tell you that when healthy they actually have a decent lineup.
So their off-season signings completely depend on what their goal is for this season.
1. They want to be a better team and be more competitive. As I said, their lineup (when healthy) is decent, but what they really need is pitching - and lots of it. If they want to be more competitive, they would go out and sign two starters. Maybe Garland and someone else. They don't need to be top of the line guys, just guys that get the job done.
2. They want to increase ticket attendance. Sorry, but Garland doesn't increase attendance. Dunn and Tex would. I'd bet on them going this route, if only because attendance was so poor last year...and they really need the money.
Posted by: Prismo | November 20, 2008 at 03:51 AM
For the last time...Tex is NOT going to the Red Sox. They are only interested to drive up his price.
For the sox to get Tex, they'd need to trade Lowell and eat a significant portion of his salary. Then move Youk to 3rd.
Why would they sell low on lowell? Who by the way hits really well at fenway.
Posted by: Zig | November 20, 2008 at 03:52 AM
Players do not hire Scott Boras if they are willing to give a "hometown discount". Players hire Scott Boras for one reason..to make the most money possible. The Angels, and if truly interested the Sox and Yanks are all capable of blowing any offer the Nats or O's put out there.
And to whomever said he would get the most endorsements in Balt..are you nuts??? Boston, LA and NY would provide more "outside" money in one year that Balt could provide in 10.
Posted by: yankeegirl49 | November 20, 2008 at 07:54 AM
A lot of people are assuming that because he is rumored to be thinking about playing close to where he grew up, he would automatically want to play for the O's. He'll play for the $
Posted by: thehoagster07 | November 20, 2008 at 08:59 AM
RedSox: Why wouldn't the Nats spend the money for Tex? So what they'd spend 30 million on 3 players at one posistion, if the the Yanks or Sox acquired him they'd have the same problem. The Yanks already are spending the $5 mil buyout on Giambi, would have to move Swisher in the outfield and choose between benching his $5.3 mil contract or Nady's which will prob. be in the same area after arb. Both players were also brought in through trades meaning you have to factor in that wasted value. Not to mention the fact that within a couple years either Posada, Arod, or Jeter will need to play an easier position. Either way the Yanks will have more than $10 million riding on the bench. The Sox will be in the same boat with Lowell's contract and him riding the bench. 1B is not a position of strength for the Nats Young and Johnson are both in the last year of their deals and their closest prospect is 3 years away. Young has already been sent to the minors and if they acquire Tex would be more or less cut.
Yankeegirl: Don't be so sure they can "blow away an offer" all those other teams have over a $100 million more committed already and have other larger needs. The barometer of success for the Angels, Sox and Yanks is a WS next year. O's and Nats don't have those expectations, just a 10-15 game improvement next year would be good. Those teams can look at it as invest $20 mil a year in tex this year, and $20mil+ next year in pitching + waiting for prospects. Tex is not Manny he can be part of a rebuilding process. The Angels, Yanks and Sox have additional areas they need to address that will cost tens of millions of dollars. The Nats and O's are in a big market if the fans come out to say see Tex and an improved team they can afford $100 million dollar payroll as well.
As for endorsements I actually think you are the one that is mistaken. Yes its easier to get National endorsements when playing in a large market but we aren't talking about playing in Boise Idaho here, Balt-DC is a pretty decent market size. And in Baltimore Tex would be the top dog, and recieve all the local marketing deals. With the Yanks he would be behind at least Jeter, Arod, Petitte if he stays, Mo, and CC if he signs, same with other major cities as well.
Posted by: Steveo26 | November 20, 2008 at 09:00 AM
hoagster: I don't fully agree with you, coming home and playing in front of family and friends may be worth a couple million a year. Its not like we are saying he'd only play for half the rate in Balt. or DC, he is still prob. gonna get the largest contract this offseason (in overall dollars, CC and Manny will get it in $$ per year). Just as he has made comments in the past about not accepting below market deals, he has made comments about how he has wanted to come back to Maryland and play. Either way one of those comments would turn out to be false.
Posted by: Steveo26 | November 20, 2008 at 09:04 AM
"I feel bad that Bowden is out and out lying to nats fans by faking interest in Teixeira."
Bowden may be an idiot but he's not faking interest. If Tex is serious about wanting to play near Maryland then a potential discount is worth exploring.
"They already have 2 1B"
The answer is Young and Johnson. The question is name a pair of first basemen who you wouldn't want on your team.
"Seriously, how does this garbage make any sense?"
Did it make any sense when the Rangers offered a ground breaking contract to ARod.
Posted by: start_wearing_purple | November 20, 2008 at 09:07 AM
RedSoxDynasty: I really don't get what your saying... and maybe you should check your facts. Bowden has given extentions to Johnson, Kearns, Young and Guzman he hasn't exactly not been spending money. Yes 3 of those deals haven't worked out and none of them were earth shattering by any means but why would it be unlikely for him to spend money 'b/c he hasn't done it before'. Its not like we are talking about 10 years of not spending money we are talking about 4 seasons. The first two of which this team was owned by ML baseball and COULDN'T spend money. They offered Soriano a $14-15 million dollar deal and he turned it down. Exactly what free agents last year would have made sense to the Nats? Posada, Rivera, Lowell? all too old and positions of strength. Yes their were some decent CF's out there but lets be honest Giants are already talking about moving Rowand, and Dodgers would pay to move Jones, the only deal that worked out was Hunter and he signed before a market could develop. SP's are quite the risk, see Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt. So I really don't understand what evidence you have saying the Nats won't spend money. They haven't these past few years b/c it wasn't smart to do so but now acquiring a player like Tex would be the right thing. Tex is a franchise player and the Nats desperately need that. They haven't wasted their money and draft picks in the past so they could build up a minor league system that was wrecked by Major League Baseball. Once again if you look at the FACTS the Nats could have a top-10 payroll in baseball.
Posted by: Steveo26 | November 20, 2008 at 09:38 AM
Steveo-I meant something more along the lines of "If he chooses to play for the O's or Nats, he'll pick whoever offers the most money." Poor original wording on my part.
Posted by: thehoagster07 | November 20, 2008 at 09:39 AM
No worries hoagster, sorry if I have a double post, TypeKey is quite frustrating.
Posted by: Steveo26 | November 20, 2008 at 09:55 AM
he was there when the rangers spent all their money on one guy. they resented a-rod for 3 years and couldn't wait to get him outta there. i doubt teix would make the same mistake.
that said, i hope he goes. he'll put up his numbers, do his thing, but ultmately he'll waste away there... he'll be barry sanders. mitch richmond. brian dennehey in that bobby knight biopic.
Posted by: the_kid_01 | November 20, 2008 at 10:41 AM