Mark Teixeira Update; Halos After Konerko?

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.