Teixeira Had Higher Offer From Nationals
Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com is reporting that the Washington Nationals offered about $5MM more to first baseman Mark Teixeira than the New York Yankees did, even though Teixeira struck a deal with the Yankees on Tuesday.
Kubatko adds that the Nationals would have gone even higher, but they were never given a chance to compete with the Yankees’ offer. He guesses that it wasn’t all about the money after all.
Kubatko also writes that the Baltimore Orioles are still looking to add another bat to the lineup, possibly a first baseman, outfielder or designated hitter.
Red Sox Next Moves
After missing out on Mark Teixeira, Boston Red Sox fans have been asking what the team will do to respond. Here are a few links about the current (and therefore future) state of the franchise.
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Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald goes through the health of designated hitter David Ortiz and third baseman Mike Lowell, and he looks at pitching and the open slot behind the plate.
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In this article, McAdam takes a look at the free agent market with the goal of determining who would work well with the Red Sox. Overall, McAdam writes that the homegrown talent has reduced the pressure the Red Sox have on the market. Because of this, McAdam believes the Red Sox view free agency as “unnecessarily expensive.”
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Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe expands on what we learned yesterday about first baseman Kevin Youkilis‘ contract: A one-year deal stands.
Dickey Picks Twins
Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has chosen to pitch for the Minnesota Twins over returning to the Seattle Mariners, Kirby Arnold of The (Everett, Wash.) Daily Herald reported.
Dickey told Arnold that he likes his chances of playing at the major-league level with the Twins, despite a larger amount of money offered by the Mariners. Arnold writes that he agreed to a “split minor-major league contract.” I’m guessing Dickey signed a minor-league deal that will pay more if he makes the 25-man roster.
The Mets and Brewers also had interest, Arnold writes.
UPDATE: MLB.com’s Kelly Thesier has it posted now. It is a minor-league deal.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Wednesday
4:31pm: Rob Neyer’s latest post on ESPN.com discusses what Ramirez’ chances are to claim himself a big contract. Neyer doesn’t like the odds. His guess is two years for $45MM. He lists the Dodgers as the likely match.
8:55am: Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger tells us to take the New York Mets off the Manny List. Graziano writes that GM Omar Minaya is having trouble selling Ramirez to ownership, despite how well he would fit in with the team. He adds that despite the Red Sox missing out on Mark Teixeira to the Yankees on Tuesday, Ramirez had a worse day. As Graziano puts it, “Because, honestly, where is he going to go now?”
8:01am: Common sense tells T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times that Manny’s best — and possibly only — option is a contract with the Dodgers. He wonders if the Dodgers and owner Frank McCourt really even want Ramirez to return. Regardless, Simers doesn’t see the slugger ending up with a small- or mid-market franchise.
Jesse Spector of the N.Y. Daily News writes the New York Yankees could still sign Manny, even after taking on more than $400MM in payroll in the past week, and have a 2009 payroll less than the 2008 version. His hypothesis hinges on not bringing back left-hander Andy Pettitte and trading Hideki Matsui in particular.
Rays Sign Joe Nelson
4:18pm: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has a post up about the signing. He writes that Nelson gives the Rays another closer option, just in case Troy Percival isn’t ready to go following his back surgery.
Topkin, who states about 20 teams had interest in Nelson, adds the deal is pending a physical.
2:36pm: Right-handed reliever Joe Nelson has signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald is reporting. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.3MM.
Nelson, 34, was with the Marlins last season.
More Mark Teixeira Signing Reactions
4:01pm: Peter Gammons of ESPN writes the Yankees are just being American.
1:26pm: FOXSports.com’s Dayn Perry believes the Yankees are taking a risk with the Teixeira deal. Perry points out that the Yankees’ spending will add even more pressure onto the franchise to win. He also thinks the Yankees needed to make this deal.
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Former pitcher Jim Kaat is in line with Perry. Kaat believes there will be an adjustment period for all three of the Yankees’ big signings. He writes that players sometimes try too hard to live up to their big contracts in the first season, and that could take place here.
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Murray Chass says Mark Teixeira banned himself from Boston.
11:33am: Add Rays skipper Joe Maddon to the list of baseball people who aren’t scared by the Yankees’ recent moves. This, via Mike DiGiovanna and the LA Times.
10:01am: Since this is the major topic today — unless anything breaks — I’ll update this periodically.
- Buster Olney of ESPN weighs in on the winners and losers of the Teixeira deal.
- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes that the Washington Nationals’ attempt to sign Teixeira was admirable. He says the Nationals showed they are willing to spend money, although a need to gain credibility as a franchise stood in the way of them and Teixeira.
- Check out this post from Tuesday for more notes regarding the deal.
8:49am:
- Sports Illustrated and Tom Verducci have a Q&A posted about the Yankees’ deal with Mark Teixeira. In short, Verducci likes the move for the Yankees.
- “WE’RE BACK!” At least Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan says about the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family’s spending.
- Boston fans lost a big present from under the Christmas tree, Adam Kilgore of the Globe writes.
- Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines that the Yankees are bad for sports. He cites the national economic struggles as a top reason the Teixeira/Yankees deal makes no sense.
- On the opposite end of the spectrum, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Yankees’ signing is good for baseball.
- Orioles fans are upset that the hometown boy will only be returning to town wearing Yankees gray, Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker writes.
- Mike Lupica of the N.Y. Daily News wonders if the Yankees have spent enough this offseason to “buy back a World Series.”
- Besides an apology to his wife for reporting from his vacation, New York Post writer Joel Sherman notes how Teixeira turns 29 in April. The new Yankees have become younger, he adds. He slips in that Manny Ramirez never made sense for the Yankees.
- Bill Burt of the North Andover (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune writes the Red Sox didn’t want Teixeira enough to pull the trigger on the deal. He adds that the Sox will do nothing — and that they don’t need to.
Correia, Padres Reach Minor-League Deal
Kevin Correia will compete for a starting job with the San Diego Padres, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.
Correia, a righty, was previously with the San Francisco Giants. He agreed to terms on a minor-league contact with an invitation to spring training. If he makes the 25-man roster, Correia could earn $750,000, according to his agent. Krasovic notes that Correia is from San Diego.
Marlins’ Catcher Hunt Includes I-Rod
Miami Herald columnist Barry Jackson writes that the Florida Marlins are discussing free-agent catchers like Michael Barrett, Henry Blanco and Ivan Rodriguez.
Rodriguez would have to accept a salary close to the league minimum for the Marlins to consider him as a serious option, according to Jackson.
Trading Partners For The Yankees
Reports are all over the place about the Yankees being too stocked with corner outfielders. The four names that continue to surface are Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui, Nick Swisher and Johnny Damon. Here’s a list of stories about potential trading partners:
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Joel Sherman of the N.Y. Post thinks the Angels, Rays, Rangers and A’s could be possibilities, but he reminds us that there still are a number of similar-style hitters on the free agent market.
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MLB.com writer Chris Haft thinks the San Francisco Giants could be a good suitor for Xavier Nady, who grew up in the Bay area.
Youkilis To Enter 2009 Without Extension
Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe is reporting that Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis will not complete any long-term extension with the club before the start of the 2009 season, this according to Youkilis’ agent.
The post also states that Youkilis will play for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.