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Mark Teixeira

Ortiz Comments on Teixeira’s Contract and His Own

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David Ortiz indicates that he might have missed an opportunity for a Teixeira-like contract in this piece from Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. It is definitely worth reading in its entirety, but here are a few quotes from the Red Sox slugger:

  • On Teixeira’s Contract: "He was put in a good situation. Everybody needed a player like him at the time and the market was wide open. He walked into a situation that was perfect for him, and on top of it he was a very good player. Everybody who performs at that level wants to be put in that situation."
  • On Signing His Four-Year, $52MM Extension in 2006: "The market wasn’t like it is now. It wasn’t close to what it is now. The year after I signed my deal the market exploded with the big television deal."
  • On His Next Contract: "I know it will be hard to get that kind of money a few years from now. I haven’t really sat down and thought about it. All my focus is about doing my thing. You work, try to get better every day for a reason. I’m not planning to go anywhere."

Ortiz is 33 years old and could have hit the free agent market at the age of 31 had he not signed his extension with the Red Sox. The contract includes a team option for 2011. Bradford notes that his $12.5MM annual salary is $1.5MM smaller than that of teammate J.D. Drew.

Odds and Ends: Penny, Koskie, Lowell

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Links for Tuesday…

Jeff Zrebiec Talks To Andy MacPhail

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Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun talked to Orioles president Andy MacPhail recently.  A few hot stove highlights:

  • MacPhail doesn’t feel misled by Mark Teixeira and Scott Boras, but notes that there was never any engagement from them after the Orioles made their offer.
  • The Orioles’ philosophy is to "grow the arms and buy the bats."  With Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, and Jake Arrieta in the system, it seems to be going according to plan.
  • MacPhail says owner Peter Angelos is not meddling, in fact "there is nothing further from the truth."
  • Of course, MacPhail would like to sign Brian Roberts to an extension while maintaining financial flexibility.

Stark On Andruw, Swisher, Hudson, Pedro

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The latest from ESPN’s Jayson Stark…

  • Stark looks at all the factors influencing this year’s slow-moving free agent market, talking to all sorts of anonymous execs.  It’s a good read.
  • Among all the teams, the Phillies have added the most to their payroll this winter ($30MM+).  Only ten teams raised payroll this year.  The Phils are still looking at the same cast of righthanded bench bats, and are also looking to sign a reliever for one year.  Names of interest: Joe Borowski, Rudy Seanez, Will Ohman, Joe Beimel, Dennys Reyes, and Randy Flores.  Stark notes that Flores is out until June due to shoulder surgery.
  • Andruw Jones is looking for a team that will give him playing time.  One of Stark’s sources says Braves manager Bobby Cox is "lobbying harder for Jones than the rest of the baseball operation."
  • The Braves are the top suitor for Nick Swisher, but their suggestion that the Yankees eat some of Swisher’s contract was shot down.
  • Stark has heard that Angels owner Arte Moreno is ticked at Scott Boras and Mark Teixeira for the way they handled negotiations.
  • Stark received conflicting answers on whether the Elias formulas "can be changed without a special negotiation."  It figures that the players union would push to eliminate the Jason Varitek/Juan Cruz/Orlando Cabrera situations we saw this winter.  The D’Backs may have interest in re-signing Cruz, but don’t look for a Cabrera-White Sox reunion.
  • The Yankees and Mets have not pursued Orlando Hudson, despite Hudson’s statements of their interest.  Stark sees a one-year deal with the Nationals or Dodgers in his future. 
  • One assistant GM doesn’t think the WBC will be a good gauge for Pedro Martinez’s abilities, since he’ll be doing short stints.
  • Stark has details on Eddie Guardado’s contract, which has interesting provisions if he is to be traded.

Free Agent Quota: 8 Type A/Bs

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12:30pm: In an email, Bloom told me it is a combination of eight Type A and Bs (not eight of each) and whether or not the team offered arbitration has nothing to do with the quota.

11:37am: Bloom says that a unilateral exception was granted this offseason allowing any team to sign as many as eight Type A or B free agents.  A total of 216 free agents filed, an exceptionally high number.  Another note: Bloom learned from Manfred that while draft pick compensation would be eliminated if the player waits until after the June draft to sign, it has yet to occur.

10:44am: Brian Cashman told Peter Abraham the Yankees could sign up to eight Type A free agents if they wanted to.  Cashman’s exact quote shows less certainty:

"I’m not sure of the exact number, but it’s one we won’t worry about either way."

10:05am: One reader asks a question I can’t answer: if the quota is three Type A/Bs, how were the Giants able to sign Jeremy Affeldt (B), Bob Howry (A), Randy Johnson (B), Edgar Renteria (A), and Juan Uribe (B)?  Does it only apply to Type A/Bs who were offered arbitration?  Is the quota three of each type?

7:45am: Just wanted to add the info from a January 6th Nick Cafardo article, where he stated that this year’s quota is nine Type A or B free agents.  Everyone I’d spoken previously to believed the Yankees have not approached any quota.  I know the CBA allows for more Type A/Bs to be signed if you lose them, and the Yankees lost Bobby Abreu and Mike Mussina. We attempted to tackle this in October and came away confused. 

Still, Bloom talked to MLB’s executive VP of labor relations Rob Manfred for his article and it seems highly unlikely that Manfred would be wrong. – Tim Dierkes

1:28am: Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com is reporting that the New York Yankees cannot sign any more Type A or Type B free agents this offseason.

According to the Basic Agreement, and confirmed by a top Major League Baseball official, once the Yankees signed C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, they had signed their quota of Type A or Type B free agents under the collectively bargained rules established by management and the Players Association, Bloom wrote.

All three were Type A free agents who played for other teams last season aside from the Yankees. The Yankees could re-sign their own Type A or Type B free agents without it affecting the quota.

Under the rules, "if there are from 39 to 62 [Type A and B] players [during a given offseason], no team can sign more than three."

Re-signing Type A pitchers Andy Pettitte and Damaso Marte did not affect the Yankees’ limit.

Offseason speculation has put the Yankees on the peripheral of interest for outfielder Manny Ramirez and pitcher Ben Sheets. This finding curbs those chances.

Nationals Still Targeting Strasburg

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In a Saturday article, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune explained how the Padres would like to bring righty Stephen Strasburg home with the #3 pick in the June draft.  He wonders if the Padres could flash enough cash for Scott Boras to "steer Strasburg past the Nationals and Mariners."

Not to worry, Nationals fans.  Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post says Strasburg remains atop the Nats’ list by a wide margin.  Barring a major injury, the Nationals will draft Strasburg.  As it usually is with Boras and most early draft picks, signability is a concern.  However, Sheinin says the Nationals’ relationship with Boras improved with the Mark Teixeira negotiations.

Angels Do Not Have Interest In Dye

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WEDNESDAY: Bill Shaikin talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who shot down Cowley’s Dye rumor.  Reagins said, "No truth to that rumor."  Reagins apparently hasn’t talked to the White Sox for a while, though Shaikin’s source indicated the Angels did express interest in Dye before they re-signed Juan Rivera.

MONDAY: The Los Angeles Angels have interest in Chicago White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

According to a major-league scout, the Angels are the latest team to express interest in acquiring Dye now that the Mark Teixeira ship has set sail to New York. Unlike the talks with the Cincinnati Reds that stalled during the Winter Meetings, the Sox and Angels actually have a fit, Cowley wrote.

Cowley speculates that the White Sox would want Chone Figgins in return. Figgins could play third base and lead off for Chicago.

Cowley also notes that the Angels have a surplus of outfielders, but the Angels want to add protection in the lineup for Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter.

Cowley’s source also said the Angels do not like the rest of the free-agent outfield market and do not want to be pawns in the on-going Manny Ramirez saga.

The Angels are not one of the teams listed on Dye’s no-trade list, Cowley writes.

Odds And Ends: Padres, Manny, Braves

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Links for Sunday…

  • John Moores will remain majority owner of the Padres for three or four years even if he agrees to sell the team to Jeff Moorad, according to Tom Krasovic. Major league executives say Padres CEO Sandy Alderson is likely to leave if Moorad takes over.
  • In a recent poll, Giants fans were divided on the idea of signing Manny Ramirez.
  • The Pirates haven’t offered Doug Mientkiewicz a contract.
  • Thomas Stinson looks at an offseason of "mediocrity" for the Braves.
  • Bobby Cox likes the looks of Kenshin Kawakami.
  • Larry LaRue asks who’s on first for the Mariners this year.
  • Joe Posnanski sees Adam Dunn and Willie Bloomquist as opposites in a way.
  • Michael Silverman compares the pre-Bronx careers of Mark Teixeira and Jason Giambi.

Gammons On Varitek, Teixeira

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7:21pm Here is a link to the actual radio clip.

6:01pm Chad Finn of the Boston Globe recaps Peter Gammons’ appearance today on WEEI.

  • Gammons believes the Red Sox would sign Jason Varitek if he offered his services for $2MM. Gammons still believes the Red Sox would prefer to take the draft picks and trade for a different catcher.
  • Gammons says the player’s association was "strongly advising" agents to turn down arbitration offers, but that in the end it cost players like Varitek a lot of money.
  • Gammons says a lot of players could be looking for jobs in the spring, noting that AJ Burnett’s agents did a great job considering the Yankees wanted Derek Lowe. As a result, Lowe (a Boras client) is now without a job.
  • Gammons called Mark Teixeira Scott Boras’ "ultimate client" and that Teixeira is "very well-programmed."
  • He notes that there was a lot of "testiness" between Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez in Texas and Gammons wonders how Teixeira will handle the high expectations that come with playing in New York.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Mark Teixeira Leftovers

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More Mark Teixeira info…

  • Tony Massarotti chronicles the Red Sox-Yankees angle to the Teixeira negotiations from start to finish.
  • Lisa Olson says the Yankees lured Tex with a montage backed by his beloved band Twisted Sister (and also $180 million).
  • Teixeira says the botched negotiations with the Red Sox in ’98 had nothing to do with his decision.
  • Jack Curry got some comments from Red Sox owner John Henry on the situation.
  • Yankees president Randy Levine accused Brewers owner Mark Attanasio of "sour grapes."
  • Ken Davidoff banters with Hal Steinbrenner about the Yankees’ approach.
  • Gordon Edes says the Red Sox put together an offer with vesting options that would’ve reached ten years and $212MM; Scott Boras made a similar pitch to the Angels.  Boras wanted either nine years or $23MM per from the Sox; he told them the Nationals did commit to a ninth year.  That was when John Henry emailed the media.  As for the Angels, Arte Moreno believes no player is worth more than $160MM.
  • Joel Sherman says the Angels were Teixeira’s first choice.
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