Mark Teixeira said in an interview that the Red Sox leaking public info during their negotiations hurt them this past off season. Extra Bases from the Globe Reports:
Teixeira was asked specifically if the public nature of the Red Sox negotiations last winter bothered him. “It did, it did,” replied Teixeira. “And I think in the end, it probably worked against them a little bit, because everyone thought the Red Sox were [my] No. 1, but in reality, the Yankees were gonna be the team, like I said all along, if all things were equal, the Yankees were the place that I wanted to go. It made the most sense for my family. It made the most sense for me and my career and where I wanted to go. Being a Yankee and wearing the pinstripes into the new Yankee Stadium, it doesn’t get any better than that. They had a leg up all along.”
Well done again Larry Luccino and John Henry, they cry foul about everything else but never let Theo do his thing. Those two dinks should stay out of the public eye and stop making comments on anything and everything. The Red Sox already let Super Hobbit Rat Charles Steinberg go, but they are still too public when they do not need to be. I don’t think that Tex was worth that contract but it isn’t my money. Since losing out on Teixeira the Red Sox did not pick up another bat, so they must have had concerns about Drew, Lowell & Ortiz if they went that hard after the free-agent slugger. The Sox should have plenty of money to play with come the trading deadline.
From NY Daily News:
It was then learned that Teixeira had favored the Yankees all along and according to sources he conveyed that to them this week.
Negotiations intensified Tuesday morning and the two sides were believed to be close to an agreement that would make Teixeira a Yankee.
Neither do I.
It appears that the deal came down to a six-million dollar difference, and the Red Sox reluctance to include a no-trade clause in the contract. Our sources indicated that a deal had been agreed upon in principle with Teixeira sometime yesterday, but the New York Yankees swooped-in and did what it took to get a deal done, i.e. sweetening the pot and adding the full no-trade clause which was crucial for the deal. Teixeira wanted no part of playing for the Nationals, even though they offered the most money, so it came down to playing for the Red Sox or Yankees. This was a huge loss for the Red Sox, who thought they had a deal done with Teixeira. For the past year the Red Sox have been counting on signing the first basemen. Onto Derek Lowe or Jake Peavy. More from Jon Heyman:
The Yankees have reached an agreement in principle to sign Mark Teixeira, SI.com has learned, beating out the rival Red Sox for the free-agent slugger’s services.
Teixeira, who hit .308 with 33 home runs and 121 RBIs in 2008, will receive an eight-year, $180 million deal from the Yankees with a full no-trade provision.
The Yankees quietly remained in contact with the Teixeira camp, but after spending $243.5 million on star starting pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, they didn’t appear anxious to be the market setter.
The Red Sox threw a curveball late last week when owner John Henry announced they were no longer “going to be a factor” following a meeting at Teixeira’s Dallas-area house. But after a little while, it became clear that Henry only meant that they intended not to up their bid, not that they were pulling out of the derby entirely.
From Nick Cafardo:
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.
As first reported here yesterday, the Red Sox are reportedly going to announce the signing of free agent slugger Mark Teixeira. The Washington Times website is reporting that the announcement will be made by the end of the day.
More from the Times:
While the source declined to discuss specifics, there are strong indications that the Red Sox will announce that they have landed the highly-coveted slugger, who has been courted this offseason by several major league clubs, including the Angels, Orioles and Nationals.
The Red Sox have been considered one of the lead contenders in the Teixeira sweepstakes, but it was unclear whether the team would be able to meet the asking price from agent Scott Boras, who had hoped to land a contract for as much as $200 million over ten years. Last week, Red Sox owner John Henry told reporters that the team was no longer pursuing the player, but the statement was widely seen as a negotiating maneuver.
From Jon Heyman:
Things appear to be heating up in the Mark Teixeira talks, and baseball people believe now that Teixeira will have a new team before Christmas.
The Angels’ decision Sunday to drop out of the derby seems to have crystallized things for Teixeira, the 28-year-old first base star who’s choosing between the Red Sox, Nationals and Orioles, and perhaps the Yankees. The likely deal is expected to be for close to $180 million, though the final figure depends upon which team Teixeira selects.
The Red Sox, disappointed when they failed to make a deal with Teixeira late last week, are still viewed as the favorite by most executives on other teams, though it’s not known whether that’s inside information or guesswork. While most free agents tend to take the highest offer, there’s skepticism that a player of Teixeira’s stature would choose teams like the Nationals or Orioles, who appear to be at least a couple years away from contention.
The Red Sox are clearly still involved in talks, even after owner John Henry said they were “not going to be a factor” after a meeting requested by Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein at Teixeira’s Dallas-area home.
The Nationals also are heavily involved in negotiations with the Severna Park, Md., native. The Orioles are believed to be talking to Teixeira, as well.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox’s archrival, the Yankees, remain the wild card. It was uncertain Monday night whether the Yankees have jumped back into the bidding, although they did spend the weekend considering whether they should try to make room on their payroll for the star first baseman.
The Yankees remain interested in Teixeira but have payroll considerations after spending $243.5 million on frontline pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and they apparently want to keep any deal at only slightly more than the $161 million given to Sabathia.
From MASN Sports:
According to multiple sources, the Washington Nationals have sweetened their proposal to first baseman Mark Teixeira, offering him an eight-year deal worth $178 to $184 million.
The Nats were believed to have an eight-year, $160 million offer on the table. They apparently have increased the total value, putting them ahead of the other contenders, based on the numbers that have been reported.
I’m also told that they’re willing to go nine years – and there’s been talk of 10 – which could be one reason why agent Scott Boras is dragging along negotiations. He’s also trying to get the Red Sox back in the game and see if the Yankees and Orioles will react.
- We still standby our sources who have confirmed to us that the Red Sox and Teixeira have agreed in principle to an eight-year deal.
Sources have confirmed to Sons of Simmons, that the Boston Red Sox have agreed in principle to an eight-year deal with first basemen Mark Teixeira. Details are still sketchy at the moment, but it looks to be for around $170 Million dollars, not the $195 Million that agent Scott Boras was asking for. We cannot confirm, but we have heard the Red Sox did not include an opt-clause in the contract. Last season while splitting time between the Braves and Angels, Teixeira batted .308 with 33 HR’s and 121 RBI’s.
According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Angels have withdrawn their offer to first basement Mark Teixeira. It has been learned that Angels owner Arte Moreno believes that Teixeira’s agent, Scott Boras was just using them to drive up the price. It’s been long said that Teixeira wants to play on the east coast, now that is likely to happen. Look for the Angels to go after closer Brian Fuentes and possilby make a run at Manny Ramirez. More from Yahoo! Sports:
The Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon withdrew their offer to free-agent slugger Mark Teixeira and do not intend to continue negotiations with his agent, according to a source close to the negotiations.
Believed to have offered about $160 million over eight seasons, the Angels became the second team in recent days to declare the price on Teixeira to be too steep. The Boston Red Sox reached a similar decision Thursday night after meeting with Teixeira and agent Scott Boras. Team owner John Henry issued a statement that concluded, “ … we are not going to be a factor,” though evidence suggests negotiations are not dead.
Sources close to the process said Angels owner Arte Moreno concluded that Teixeira did not intend to play for the Angels and that his team was being used to drive up the price for the other interested clubs.
Also, a source said the Red Sox have not spoken to Boras since Thursday night, when Henry issued his statement.
A source told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday that the Angels would not re-enter the bidding for Teixeira, whom they acquired from the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline in July.
From Buster Olney:
• Heard this from a party who has been in recent contact with the Nationals’ front office: They absolutely do not expect to win the bidding for Mark Teixeira.
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