More Mark Teixeira News

As the Mark Teixeira decision looms, here’s what the switch-hitting first baseman might be thinking about:

League sources indicate the Washington Nationals and the Red Sox appear to be the finalists pending a last-minute offer from the Yankees — always a possibility.

The Nationals are offering nine years at $180 million. The Red Sox have not appeared to change their offer of eight years at around $170 million.

You can see the Nationals are willing to give Teixeira an additional $10 million over the length of the deal, but the Red Sox’ average annual value is about $1 million per year higher. This could obviously be changing by the minute, but that’s where it appears to be at the moment.

Washington is closer to home. Boston is the better team.

We may have a decision by today.

From Buster Olney and Peter Gammons:

The Boston Red Sox or the Washington Nationals continue to be the most likely destinations for Teixeira, executives involved in the process believe — the Red Sox, with an offer that might be in the range of $170 million, and the Nationals perhaps with a proposal greater than that of Boston

Still, it’s possible that the Yankees have remained in the negotiations to nudge the Red Sox in the same way that the Red Sox loomed on the fringes of the CC Sabathia contract talks — to keep their rival honest in the bidding.

The Nationals reportedly made an offer of eight years and $160 million to the first baseman, and while some within the organization have privately expressed skepticism about their chances of signing Teixeira, they are viewed as a formidable participant because of their owner’s deep pockets. A lingering question throughout these negotiations has been whether Teixeira would be willing to play for the Nationals or the Orioles, teams that figure to struggle in the immediate future, as they rebuild their pitching staffs.