Re: Henry: 'We are not going to be a factor' for Teixeira

On Dec 19, 1:18 am, TheGameSurvi...@xxxxxxxxx (The Game) wrote:
Red Sox owner John Henry e-mailed several media members late tonight
with a stunning twist in the team's pursuit of free-agent first baseman
Mark Teixeira.

Henry's words: "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed
with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear
that we are not going to be a factor."

Earlier tonight, multiple news outlets reported the Red Sox had traveled
to Texas to meet with Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras, in the hopes
of trying to finalize a deal. WCVB-TV Channel 5 reported that the Red
Sox had offered Teixeira an eight-year deal worth $184 million (an
average of $23 million per season).

Five teams have been in the hunt for Teixeira to some extent -- the Sox,
Angels, Yankees, Orioles, and Nationals -- and all indications had been
pointing to the Red Sox as the frontrunners.

Henry's reference to the "other offers" leaves open the possibility he
is calling the bluff of Boras, who has been known to inflate the value
of offers and the number of suitors pursuing his client. Boras
represented former Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon, who signed with
the New York Yankees in 2005 after the Boston brass apparently refused
to believe that the offer from their archrivals was real.

Earlier this week, Henry had expressed concern about granting a player a
contract of eight years or more.

"We all have limits," he wrote the AP on Wednesday. "Eight years is a
very long time in baseball and everywhere else."

He also said the amount the team is willing to spend on a free agent
"depends on both" the economy and the player being sought.

"Baseball as a whole has not yet been hit by the financial crisis, but
it will," Henry said. "The degree is in question and won't be answered
for a while."

Additionally, Henry wrote in an e-mail to the Herald that the Red Sox
would not give a 10-year contract to any free agent.

Teixeira hit .308 with 33 homers and 121 RBIs last season, including
358 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 54 games with the Angels.

This is a strange twist indeed. How could they go from, ""Sox source:
'Very, very, very good shot this is a done deal tonight. This is their
best offer, it's more than what Henry wants to spend.'"" to "we are
not going to be a factor." just like *that*? They could have found
that out over the phone by asking Boras. They didn't need to fly the
entire front office (including their owner) down to Texas to talk with
Teixeira to learn that there were other offers out there higher than
theirs. And yet it doesn't appear that this is simply a bluff.

So it's very odd, to say the least. If they *don't* get Teixeira,
what's the alternative plan? Here's my suggestion: sign Adam Dunn.
I know he strikes out a lot (I mean a *lot*), but here are his numbers
the last 5 seasons:

2004 - 568 ab, 105 r, 46 hr, 102 rbi, .266/.388/.569/.957
2005 - 543 ab, 107 r, 40 hr, 101 rbi, .247/.387/.540/.927
2006 - 561 ab, 99 r, 40 hr, 92 rbi, .234/.365/.490/.855
2007 - 522 ab, 101 r, 40 hr, 106 rbi, .264/.386/.554/.940
2008 - 517 ab, 79 r, 40 hr, 100 rbi, .236/.386/.513/.899

He's just 28. He'll command *WAY* fewer dollars than Teixeira
(granted, he's not nearly as good an overall ballplayer). But what
you'll get, pretty obviously, is 100 runs, 40 hr, 100 rbi, a .250
average (about), a very high obp (so he makes up for all those outs
with added walks...his obp is higher than Teixeira's for their
respective careers - .378 for Tex, .381 for Dunn), and a lot of
strikeouts. But this wouldn't be a bad lineup at all:

Ellsbury
Pedroia
Ortiz
Youkilis
Dunn
Bay
Drew
Lowrie
Catcher du jour

Slot Dunn in-between Youks and Bay...or, heck, even switch Drew and
Dunn so you have Dunn clean up after Bay. Either way, it adds a
monster bat.

And you can do that for probably $14 million a year, maybe less. That
gives you an extra $9 million a year or so to do different things and
add elsewhere.

John
.

Relevant Pages

  • Tex and Peavy
    ... Two GMs who were involved in the Teixeira talks both felt the Red Sox ... Boston Herald that the Sox would not go 10 years on any player with, ... The Yankees were willing to go two more years than anyone else on CC ...
    (alt.sports.baseball.bos-redsox)
  • Re: Henry: We are not going to be a factor for Teixeira
    ... with a stunning twist in the team's pursuit of free-agent first baseman ... "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed ... multiple news outlets reported the Red Sox had traveled ... it will," Henry said. ...
    (alt.sports.baseball.bos-redsox)
  • Henry: We are not going to be a factor for Teixeira
    ... Red Sox owner John Henry e-mailed several media members late tonight ... with a stunning twist in the team's pursuit of free-agent first baseman ... "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed ... multiple news outlets reported the Red Sox had traveled ...
    (alt.sports.baseball.bos-redsox)
  • Re: Henry: We are not going to be a factor for Teixeira
    ... with a stunning twist in the team's pursuit of free-agent first baseman ... "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed ... multiple news outlets reported the Red Sox had traveled ... Teixeira hit .308 with 33 homers and 121 RBIs last season, ...
    (alt.sports.baseball.bos-redsox)
  • Re: Teixeira for Youk?
    ... that the Braves offered Teixeira to the Boston Red Sox for Kevin ... Youkilis and a minor league prospect. ... Rotoworld says Youk and Hanson for Teixeira. ...
    (alt.sports.baseball.bos-redsox)