More Mark Teixeira News
December 19, 2008 by Mike
From Ken Rosenthal:
Whether Teixeira joins the Red Sox or another club is an open question. Whether he merits $180 million over eight years — or whatever the final number will be — is another subject of debate.
For now, though, we’re in the familiar Scott Boras Staredown Phase, in which an ardent suitor attempts to call the legendary agent’s bluff.
The Sox are experienced at this game.
Boras stuck it to them in Dec. 2005, when Johnny Damon signed with the Yankees without giving the Red Sox a chance to match New York’s offer, according to Sox owner John Henry.
The Sox struck back in Dec. 2006, when team officials flew to Boras’ home turf in Southern California and forced him to accept a take-it-or-leave it proposal for Daisuke Matsuzaka.
The shenanigans resumed Thursday night. First, news broke that Sox officials were meeting with Boras in Texas. But at 10:45 p.m. ET, Henry issued a sad lament to selected reporters via e-mail.
“We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him,” Henry said. “After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor.”
Cue the violins. And check back in an hour.
Wherever Teixeira ends up, and Boston is still the best guess, his deal is certain to exceed the eight-year, $160 million deal that Ramirez signed with the Red Sox in 2000 — a deal that included $31 million in deferred payments, significantly reducing its present-day value.
From Jon Heyman:
The Red Sox haven’t given up on the idea of signing Mark Teixeira, according to multiple baseball sources.
They are just taking a break from the bidding.
Though Boston’s chances to land the multitalented free-agent slugger may have diminished slightly after the sides failed to make progress in their high-powered Texas meeting Thursday night, few baseball people believe the Red Sox are completely out of the picture.
At least a half-dozen baseball executives with some knowledge of the process suggested to SI.com that the Red Sox remain interested in Teixeira and are merely intent on sticking to their last proposal (which one source pegged at close to but probably not more than $180 million for eight years). While none of these people were in the room in Dallas where Red Sox owner John Henry and general manager Theo Epstein met with Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras, they all have some peripheral knowledge of the negotiations.
Several of these baseball executives suggested Henry and Epstein could merely be engaging in a game of poker with Boras, and all said they believed the Red Sox still would like to land Teixeira, the biggest free-agent prize among everyday players.
Henry e-mailed reporters late Thursday and said, “We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed by him. After hearing about the other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor.”
Several subsequent headlines indicated the Red Sox had pulled out of the Teixeira sweepstakes. But the executives suggested all Henry meant is that he is sticking to his number and is not intending to bid higher. In other words, he is calling Boras’ perceived bluff but remaining in the high-stakes game.
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