Never Count the Yankees Out

After a $160 million contract to southpaw C.C. Sabathia, few thought the Yankees would be seriously contenders for any big-name hitter available on the free agent market - especially not Mark Teixeira, the top prize.

For weeks, the media followed the frenzy around Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras. Rumors flew around daily and teams entered and left the sweepstakes. Today, December 23rd, was believed to be the day Teixeira would announce his decision. The Nationals and Red Sox were the only teams left in the running; the Orioles, Teixeira's hometown team, had fallen out last week and the Angels bowed out on Sunday.

Nationals fans anxiously awaited his decision. If they could sign him, they would have the first base position locked down for the next 8 seasons. They'd have a local hero who would be the face of the franchise and lead the young team into the playoffs in the foreseeable future.

Red Sox fans also anxiously awaited his decision. Teixeira would hold down the 1st base position, allowing them to move Kevin Youkilis to 3rd and possibly move Mike Lowell for pitching. He'd hit .300, 30 home runs, and drive in 120 runs. He'd play gold glove defense. He'd lead the Red Sox back to the World Series.

The Yankees, naturally, were brought up as a possibility in the days leading up to Teixeira's decision. No one seriously expected them to indulge in another $150+ million contract, but if there's anything I've learned in my time as a baseball fan, it's that you can never, ever count the Yankees out.

And, fittingly, the Yankees swooped in at the last minute and added 20 million dollars to the Nationals offer of 8 years, $160 million. Boras was ecstatic. For weeks he had clearly been using the Nationals and Orioles to get bigger-market teams in and it is believed the took the Red Sox final offer and shopped it to the Yankees. Teixeira finally had an offer from the team he wanted all along.

As a Nationals fan, I am extremely disappointed. I was optimistic that the Nationals would find a way to lock up the 1st baseman but knew Scott Boras was going to drag the Yankees and Red Sox into the fold. The chances were slim at best, despite Teixeira's desire to play close to home. Still, Teixeira fit too well and the possibility of a franchise player like that was enough to get fans of a 100 loss team excited.

That said, I am not about to call the Lerners cheap, or Jim Bowden a terrible GM (that may be up for debate, but for other reasons). The Lerners showed that they will spend money on a franchise player. Now, they need to look for "plan b," which could be a combination of Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson or a trade for a first baseman.

Either way, they need to do something this offseason. Nationals fans need something to look forward to and I need something to watch for when I head to Viera, Florida for spring training.

Teixeira Hysteria (updated)

With star pitcher C.C. Sabathia signing the biggest contract for a pitcher in history Wednesday morning, Major League Baseball's winter meetings were officially underway.

And with the top prize off the market, all the attention has been placed on 28-year old Mark Teixeira. The first baseman - a native of Severna Park, Maryland - was coveted by many teams before this week, but no offers were made.

On Wednesday, that all changed. For hours, there was rampant speculation about who had offered Teixeira a contract, and for how much. Just about every expert predicted Teixeira would sign with the L.A. Angels, the team who traded for him at this past trading deadline. The first offer he recieved, however, was from the Washington Nationals, a team rumored to have interest all offseason long. Their offer (8 years, $160 million) is still the largest offer on the table, but many believe Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos covets the first baseman so much that he will offer a contract around $200 million, exactly what Teixeira's agent Scott Boras wants.

The breakdown of the offers, via MLBtraderumors.com:

Nationals: 8 years, $160 million
Orioles: 7 years, $140-150 million
Angels: (updated) 8 years, $160 million (possibly more)
Red Sox: not concrete numbers

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles are unwilling to up their offer, despite not being the highest. This could just be a smokescreen, but it's very possible the Orioles believe Teixeira would take a hometown discount.

The Angels, apparently, will not offer an 8th year, and will look towards trading options (Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, or Adrian Beltre) or free agent Raul Ibanez if Boras will not budge from his 8-year contract demands. It is rumored the Angels have already dropped out of the race in favor of Ibanez or a trade.

That really just leaves the Nationals and Red Sox. Let me break down why I think Teixeira should sign with the Nationals.

First, the Nationals are offering the most money. If he wants to follow the money, right now, the Nationals have the most of it.

Second, the Nationals are close to home. It has been reported that his wife wants to stay on the East Coast (we saw how that worked for Sabathia, but in this case, an East-Coast team has a competitive offer). The Red Sox are also on the East Coast, but if you're going to sign with an Eastern team, why not play 30 minutes from your hometown?

Third, Teixeira would be the face of the franchise. In Boston, he would be just another cog in the machine, sharing facetime with David Ortiz, Josh Beckett, Jason Bay, Dice-K, etc. In D.C., he would be top dog. He would be their franchise player. Ryan Zimmerman would become the #2 offensive option and the burdens the young third baseman carries as the franchise player would be made easier.

And fourth, the Nationals are building to be a dynasty in the N.L. East. Their rotation is young and their top prospects are just beginning to see the major leagues. Thier lineup has 5 players under the age of 26, and 2 more players - Austin Kearns and Josh Willingham - under the age of 30 (28 and 29, respectively). The only starter over the age of 30 is shortstop Christian Guzman, who turned 30 in March. Teixeira would stablize the first base position for the next eight years as the young team grows.

Mark Teixeira could sign with the Red Sox, or any other team for that matter. He has a much higher chance of winning a World Series in Boston or L.A. (or New York) than in Washington. But in D.C., he'd have a chance to lead a team to a championship. He'd be a fan favorite and a wonderful story.

Time will only tell if he does decide to sign with the Nationals. But for the first time, Nationals fans have a reason to be excited in December.

Update: According to mlb.com, the Angels have decided to up their offer to match the Nationals' offer. This makes it very interesting and now throws the Angels back into the mix. Also, there are no confirmed offers from the Red Sox...is their interest just a Scott Boras' creation, used to up to offers?