Here’s the latest on Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira as well as a new one involving Paul Konerko.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News expects Teixeira to be traded. He seems to think that Jon Daniels can convince John Schuerholz to give up Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a pitching prospect for Teixeira. Meanwhile, Mark Bowman of MLB.com confirms discussions are in progress and believes Salty is pretty much a necessity in the deal. Buster Olney considers the Braves and Yankees as the only real serious suitors for Tex. Olney’s sources make a Teixeira trade seem quite likely.
- Will Carroll doesn’t think the Rangers would be getting enough for Teixeira in Salty, Elvis Andrus, and a pitching prospect.
- Grant sees the Dodgers as less likely due to the fine play of James Loney.
- Interestingly, the Angels may have switched gears to Paul Konerko. There’s that big, fresh name I was hoping to see. The Angels tried hard to sign Konerko after the 2005 season. He had been viewed as Chicago’s most stable position player entering 2008. He has a limited no-trade clause, but Peter Yoon and Mike DiGiovanna think he would waive it to come to L.A. The market has changed since November of 2005, and $12MM annually for Konerko seems like a bargain. He’s locked in through 2010, and his salary would not top Vlad’s (said to be a concern of Arte Moreno when considering A-Rod). No doubt it would take at least two of the Angels’ best young players – Casey Kotchman and Nick Adenhart?
- A couple of ESPN baseball guys have differing viewpoints on Konerko’s availability – Buster Olney thinks he can be had, while Jayson Stark would be shocked to see him traded. Will Carroll sides with Stark on the issue.
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times states something many of us have already deduced: the Yankees can’t acquire Teixeira if they insist on keeping both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. And keeping that pair seems to be the plan.
- The Boston Globe says the Red Sox are one of five or six teams in on Teixeira. Amalie Benjamin doesn’t offer any further information though.
