The final chapter on Teixeira
NEW YORK - In the catacombs of the old Yankee Stadium, dressed in a charcoal suit with pinstripes, Mark Teixeira settled his large frame into a rather ordinary folding chair yesterday. The latest member of the Yankees gently removed his cap, exposing an undeniable impression on his forehead.
Too tight.
Much too tight.
"Do you mind if I take this off?" Teixeira politely asked, softly dropping his cap on the floor in the wake of a press conference to announce his eight-year, $180 million deal with the Yankees. "It's a little too small."
And so, in the end, maybe it was that simple.
Maybe Mark Teixeira was merely determined to squeeze on a Yankees cap, independent of any greasing.
Yet, as the Red Sox, Yankees, and Teixeira all formally (and finally) move on today in what will go down as perhaps the greatest free agent competition in the considerable history between the participants in baseball's Hundred Years War, some final reflection is inevitable and mandatory.
Did the Red Sox overlook the Yankees here? (They say no.) Did Teixeira truly regard Boston as an option? (He says yes.) And what will the impact be on the American League in 2009 and beyond? (Time will tell.)
In the interim, let the record show that Teixeira acknowledged that he all but decided on the Yankees two weeks before Christmas, during a Dec. 12 dinner with his wife, Leigh, at the cou ple's Dallas-area country club. And let the record show, too, that the Teixeiras' weekly date came precisely six days before the Red Sox' fateful and fruitless visit to Dallas in hopes of closing a deal with the player.
Nonetheless, there is so much more to the story.
"The whole process was confusing," said Teixeira. "Sometimes I'd tell Scott [Boras] to stop calling me, then I'd call him five times a day saying, 'Tell me what you know.'
"Two weeks before Christmas, I talked to Leigh about it again, and we kind of decided that, hey, the Yankees are where we want to be. [Yankees general manager Brian Cashman] might want to give Leigh a hug, because when I asked her during the process, 'Where should I go, where should I go?' she'd always say, 'I just want you to be happy.'
"Finally she said, 'I want you to be a Yankee,' and it was a done deal. Once we got the contract figured out, it was a no-brainer for me."
Whether the Sox could have done anything to change that remains questionable, though club officials certainly would not have offered Teixeira the biggest contract in club history (and, at the time, third largest in baseball history) had they been operating with any degree of hopelessness. If and when the Sox choose to reflect on this saga - and they should - they should focus on Dec. 18, date of the infamous Dallas-area meeting that might have sealed the deal and instead sealed their fate.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Sox began their pursuit of Teixeira with a six-year, $120 million proposal just minutes after the official bidding process began, shortly after midnight on the morning of Nov. 14. During the winter meetings Dec. 8-11 in Las Vegas, the Sox increased that offer to eight years and $168 million, an average of $21 million per season.
Roughly a week later, during the fateful meeting in Dallas that included Sox general manager Theo Epstein, Boras, and Teixeira as well as principal owner John Henry and team president Larry Lucchino, the offer peaked at $170 million over eight years - $10 million more than the club-record deal signed by Manny Ramírez during the winter of 2000-01.
Along the way, Epstein and Sox manager Terry Francona spent a day with Teixeira in the Washington, D.C., area Dec. 2, a meeting both sides described as highly productive. That meeting took place three days before Teixeira had an equally productive meeting with Cashman in the nation's capital as the player familiarized himself with a group of suitors that also included the Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels.
"When I met with him in Washington, I felt that he wanted to be a Yankee," Cashman said yesterday. "He didn't say that, but I just got a really good feeling of like, 'You know what, if all things were equal, I think this is where he would prefer to play.' That was my sense. Then again, some players are good at selling that type of [sentiment], but that was my genuine feel."
Teixeira, meanwhile, expressed similar feelings about the Red Sox, calling Francona "a good man, a good manager," and referring to Epstein as "a great general manager - I enjoyed my time with him." All of that suggests the Sox had the momentum to close a deal in Dallas, something Teixeira suggested yesterday despite the assertion that his wife lobbied for a deal with the Yankees earlier.
All of that brings additional emphasis on the dynamic involving Teixeira, Boras, Henry, and Lucchino, the last two of whom were not present when Teixeira met with Sox officials in Washington. Boras and Lucchino are longtime adversaries, and one can assume Henry has had his share of frustrations with the agent, too. The Sox now have had tense negotiations with Boras in three of the last four seasons, with the departure of Johnny Damon, the acquisition of Daisuke Matsuzaka, and now Teixeira.
While Boras insisted that he did not string along the Red Sox - or, for that matter, anyone else - Teixeira said the Sox might have had a deal had they increased their offer Dec. 18. Multiple sources confirmed that Boras presented the Sox with a proposal in which Teixeira could have been signed for a guaranteed $176 million over eight years - precisely $22 million per season - but the deal included a pair of attainable vesting options that would have brought the value to $220 million over 10 years.
While it is unclear whether the Sox could have negotiated down those options, indications are that they dismissed the proposal.
Believing that Boras was bluffing, Henry then blasted out an e-mail to multiple media outlets in which he appeared to call Boras's bluff.
Less than a week later, Teixeira agreed to terms with New York.
"Every team did [have a chance]," said Teixeira. "I told my agent, 'This is the pecking order,' and I gave him my idea of who was going to be near the top.
"At the same time, I'm not going to lie to you guys. Contract was important. I wasn't going to take half as much money to play in New York. But when a team like New York steps up and is very competitive with their contract, it was an easy decision for me.
"I'm sure there could have been [a deal with Boston], but like I said, contract is important. When everyone was kind of around the same contract, there was no rush for me to make a decision, so that's kind of the way I went about that meeting with Boston.
"I have so much respect for [the Red Sox], but when their offer wasn't with the Yankees' and it just didn't seem like they were going to continue to better their offer, and the Yankees came in and did what they did, it was an easy decision."
Said Boras, "As far as Boston goes, I think Boston knows they got good-faith proposals and they were given proposals, which means, if accepted, the player would have signed the proposal. If teams reject them, they cannot in any way suggest they were strung along."
Indeed, even Cashman went so far as to suggest that he believed Teixeira would be a member of the Red Sox up to two hours before news leaked Dec. 23 that the Yankees had reached agreement.
Epstein again declined to comment publicly on the matter yesterday and the club has since agreed on deals with backup catcher Josh Bard and pitcher Brad Penny, though neither is represented by Boras.
However, in an e-mail to the Associated Press last night, Henry wrote, "There was no mention of the Yankees, but we felt all along that they were going to get the last call. That's what you deal with in working with Scott."
There now seems legitimate question as to whether the strained relationship between Boras and the Sox will affect the club's willingness to sign Jason Varitek, for whom there currently seems to be no market.
As for Teixeira, he will face the Red Sox at least 18 times a year for the next eight seasons.
By the end of that time, presumably, we will all know whether the classic cap of the New York Yankees was the right fit for him.
Tony Massarotti can be reached at tmassarotti@globe.com and can be read at www.boston.com/massarotti
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I heard from a reliable source that the Red Sox are working on a trade to get Teixeira from the Yankees. Why isn't anyone talking about this? You would think Yankees-Red Sox-Teixeira might get a little ink!
Stop talking about this clown. I'm sick and tired listening about this guy.
Trade! There is no ink because it's nothing but BS!
Dude, stop obsessing about Teixeira. He will soon become just another high priced baby in the Yankees line up that doesn't do jack for the team. Let it go and find something interesting to write about.
Teixeira, I put a curse on you. Your teeth will continue to grow until you look like Mr. Ed (or John Elway). Enjoy your post-game showers with A-Rod, you pathetic money-grubbing loser.
Who cares...its over.......Play ball
Pretty funny, I'm glad you used the word "source" but please, its about time this is over with.
I believe John Henry must be hurting for cash, or the deal would have been done.
Having watched the video (above) it seems to me that this guy made his decision based purely on pedigree. To him, the Yankees are *the* elite corporation to work for, whereas all the others are underclassed. It might be akin to accepting an admission to Yale over Harvard.
That is the most ridiculous rumor ever. Just because marijuana possession is now decriminalized in Massachusetts, doesn't mean you should smoke up & post garbage like that on the Internet.
Hey Mazz If Texiera was your ex you would be charged with stalking ! The guy took the money and made a decision to secure the next 3 generations of his family GET OVER IT! And as much as everyone complains about Boras why is everyone uptight that Mr. Henry didnt mortgage his entire empire to chase down one of Scotts primo clients? A move that will probally pay off when it is time to deal with him again this winter. The move will also work well when it is time to fork over cash for the next crop of FAs. LET IT GO!
Mazz, if you will recall the media reports right after Teixeira signed with the Yankees is that the Red Sox thought they had been outbid by the NATIONALS in the end and yet were willing to walk away after offering 170 million and refusing to go any higher. If true that is not insignificant in terms of this being a case where the Red Sox set a monetary ceiling for a player and won't go beyond it, Yankees or no Yankees.
Not buying the attempted Pro-Theo media spin from you where Boras sent Teixeira to NY because of animosity between he, Lucchino and Henry. Boras loves his money as much as any player and he's cut his own financial throat with Manny by having Tex land in NY rather than Boston thus greatly limiting Manny's market and diminishing his own profitable piece of Manny's contractual pie by millions of dollars.
Keep spinning though Mazz. It's what you guys do best.
Tony, I'm sending you a thesaurus as a late christmas present. If you describe the Dec 18th trip to Dallas, or any other aspect of the Sox' pursuit of Teixeira as "fateful" again, I will likely throw up all over my computer. Never mind that "fateful" is likely an inaccurate description of the trip in the first place, given your position that Teixeira had pretty much made his mind up before Dec. 18. Perhaps "futile" should be used in future articles?
Are you serious? Why would the sox give up players AND meet the demands of a contract that they refused to meet even without giving up players? Let's not even mention the likelihood of the Red Sox & Yankees trading with each other. Preposterous!
Dream on......
Who really cares what Teixeira or any other ball player does. In the end there are very few of them that have any sense of fair play or morality. Since when is it okay to cheat and consider it fair play? Did you ever see a ball player call himself out when an umpire made a bad call? NO, but he sure will argue when that same umpire calls him out when he was safe. Now tell me they don't think it is all about them. They are taught from an early age to win at any cost and don't worry about your personal beliefs. The whole game, like all pro sports is nothing more than a money game fine tuned to take advantage of that sucker PT Barnum talked about. years ago.
my initial knee-jerk reaction to this whole fiasco was very similar to that of many sox fans, anger and bitterness towards teixiera for toying with us only to sign with our hated arch rival. but in the end, in all honesty i really cant fault the guy for following the money and getting the very best deal he could get for himself. thats the american way, and any one of us would have probably done the same thing in our given professions. and if he really did grow up as a yankee ballsuck as a kid in baltimore, as much as it makes me wanna puke on my shoe, whatever...we have plenty of those around here too...
the point is, if the yankees were offering the most money, new state of the art stadium and an all-star supporting cast, he isnt from here nor is his wife or family, and he really has no connection or obligation to boston, then what do you expect? the fans in baltimore have more to be pissed about than we do, thats his hometown and they are division rivals with yankees same as we are...they may spend the next decade in last place now instead on having a little hope with their hometown hero, at least we still have a fighting chance...
but dont get me wrong, it will be a pleasure cheering against him and i will be the first in line to pat "cash" on the back for spending $185 million on a very good but not exceptional talent that really wont give them a whole lot more offensively than they got outta giambi last season.
but i do have a serious and major problem with boras and the power that snake wields in baseball. after the manny fiasco and now the way he played the sox yet again with texiera all in the same year, i would love to see the sox once and for all stand up to him and stop playing his games. stop pursuing his clients and allowing him to use them simply to drive up prices. then maybe, just maybe, if he starts losing out on bids from other high revenue teams besides the yankees, the offers his clients get will begin to shrink. and so will his power and influence.
sorry tek, but if nothing else happens for us this offseason, i hope the sox dont cave outta desperation for a catcher and deal again with that snake and give him even one more red cent of commissions from us up here in boston. besides, the 10 mil/yr he was previously making was already overpaying for a .220 hitter with a slow bat and decling defensive skills. sure, he "calls a good game" and is good at "handling pitchers", but he cant throw baserunners out anymore and gets run on left and right. but according to boras he single handedly wins 60% of games and deserves a raise and multi-year deal late in his career. captain or no captain, they need to start now and make no more deals with the devil...
I read one of your blogs today where you poked fun at the Yankees for giving roses to Texceria's wife at the press cnference. I think that this is exactly why the Yankees consistently get who they want. It is that personal touch. It is taking that extra step to show their commitment. It's the phone call from Derek Jeter or A-Rod that usually helps seal the deal. . I never hear of theSox employing their own players to convince players to come to Boston. The Red Sox could learn well from Cashman and the Yankees on how to compete in the free agent market
I heard Slytherin Boras on MLB today basically assert the opposite of what Teixeira said in this article. Let's see: A-Rod, Damon, Drew, Daisuke, Manny, Teixeira, Lowe; does anyone beside Lucchino and me see a pattern here? Screw Scotty before he screws you . . . again. . . Theo. And to you Boras lovers who can't see the damage he and his clones are doing to the game we love, he is "doing his job" exactly the way the execs of the S&L's, mortgage houses, insurance companies, car companies, etc. were doing their jobs . . . I want it all, and I want it now.
Look what happened to Varushka.
Deversm....what are you talking about? Red Sox don't trade with the yankees. i'm pretty sure the sox learned their lesson (Babe Ruth) and what reliable source? Well, this is a deja vu. Remember the A-Rod trade how the sox were going to get him but it didn't work out because MLPLA rejected it or something, but the yankees got him? how in the world did that happen? Oh...like how the red sox were the front runners for tex.....and look what happened, he's a yankee.
Boo hoo, boo hoo, the Red Sox didn't offer him enough, they didn't cave in to Boras' demands. What a puke Teixeira is. I am glad we didn't get him.
Deversm, no one is talking about it because it is a ludacrious rumor that only you are trying to spread.
please explain why the sox continue to maintain too many cooks who do little more than spoil the broth... ? isn't it long past time for lucchino to head off into the sunset... ? and henry -- as saavy as he must be given the wealth -- why did he hire epstein as GM if he, henry, is going to keep sticking his thing into the day2day business...
let epstein be epstein ferchryeye... !!
I heard it was Lugo for Teixeira & $240,000,000 in cash. Lugo will be MLB come-back-player-of -the -year, & the Yankees are only out Teixeira & cash.
Is it just me or is this whole Teixeira story a big bore and empty air? The guy signs with the Yankees. End of story. Can we move on now?
The Red Sox had better get over it really quick and not take dealing with Boras personally. He represents the best players. Period. As a fan, I don't want my team passing on players that could benefit the team simply because they can't stand dealing with his agent. Boras is here to stay. Learn to work with him, stop trying to bluff him, and knock off the games. Boras is an annoyance, but at least he's strait-forward . The Sox office should try it some time.
Why would you want someone who had clearly made up their mind by the time you met with them? Did he just want to hold out to see if the Sox would give in to what he wanted, then say no? I think in the world today there is a lot of greed when it comes to pro-athletes, CEOs, etc. Sad. Isn't baseball, or any other pro-sport, suppose to be partly about the love of the game. I understand you want to get paid as much as you can, but come on! I am sure Tom Brady could have gone somewhere else & made a ton more money. But did he or has he? No.
I suspected all along that Teixeira would go where the most money was, and we always knew that the Yankees had the most money. The only question was how far were they willing to go. Unfortunately, John Henry, "believing that Boras was posturing," did some posturing of his own and essentially opened the door for the Yankees to walk through unimpeded. Cashman knew that Boston was withdrawing and the Angels had withdrawn their offer. He knew, thanks to John Henry, that he would not be risking a bidding war with the Red Sox over Teixeira. I wonder what Theo thought of John Henry's e-mail salvos to the media. I can't believe he was happy.
Tony,
I just don't seem to understand why the Red Sox weren't willing to go to 8 years and $192 million if they wanted him so badly. They MUST have known that $170 wasn't gonna be enough. So quite honestly, I have to think that despite this painful news (and trust me, I am a HUGE Teixeira fan), Theo might just be thinking now that he HAS to pull of a trade for offense. Personally, I think Josh Hamilton CF, and Joe Mauer C are the best options. If not that, then I think trade for Peavy. I mean the Red Sox have to do SOMETHING big in order to keep up. Do you agree?
Mazz, you've really lost your perspective on Teixeira -- "arguably the greatest free-agent competition in the considerable history between the participants in baseball's Hundred Years War". You've been dying for the Red Sox to get Teixeira, and now you're trying to rationalize what happened.
The Red Sox future is really totally up to one guy -- and none of you have been writing about him -- Ellsbury. If he hits 300+, nobody's beating the Red Sox.
Dude, that's just stupid. Read what you just wrote. There are 4 problems with what you just wrote: 1-the Yankees are not going to make a trade within the AL East. 2-They are especially not going to deal to the Sox. 3-They are especially not going to deal a franchise player that they just acquired this same offseason. 4-Are you serious? Who are these sources?
I do believe Texeira never wanted to play in Boston...you can read between the lines..we can deal with rejection!
.I am glad for Brian Cashman..he deserves our respect.and it will certainly enhance the Red Sox Yankee rivalry.
We have been so fortunate to having so many great players in Boston in recent years.So lets accept that Texeira chose New York.....
Now Theo....please add some power to the line-up for Big Papi and the great Boston fans
I never wanted this average Joe (i.e. compared to Ramirez/Papi). What has he won? Let's see him hit 40/120...then, we'll talk about how great he is. However, there are plenty of very good hitters in MLB that will assemble the same level of consistency at the plate, once given the opportunity. IMO, Texeira is a downgrade from Giambi.
The Yankees could sign Manny Ramirez, dupe the Cards into trading them Albert Pujols, and grab Hanley Ramriez from the Marlins and they'd still fail to win the World Series, assuming they made it into the playoffs.
I say this not from bitterness or hatred, although the latter is there, but because the Yankees have proven for each of the last 8 years that an all-star roster gets trumped by teamwork and player chemistry every time. Has it dawned on anyone yet that no team with A-Rod, Teixeira or Sabathia on it has ever won a World Series. That's not a coincidence. Bye-bye, Joe Girardi. You're gone by Aug. 1.
Are you people idiots? One guys posts what is clearly A JOKE about a Sox/NYY Tex trade, and 30 posts into it there are still idiots who need to comment on it. Snap out of it.
DjM....Teixeira a downgrade from Giambi?!?!?!
"There now seems legitimate question as to whether the strained relationship between Boras and the Sox will affect the club's willingness to sign catcher Jason Varitek, a Boras client for whom there currently seems to be no market."
what does this mean? where in the article is there any factual basis that boras somehow stuck it to the sox? texeira said on multiple occasions that "contract" was important. what that means is he took the highest offer. most players are mercenaries who take the highest wages because they feel pressure from the union and agents and they are greedy. in this case the red sox set a value on texeira and it wasn't enough. the yankees waited in the weeds and swooped in for the take, a classic negotiating ploy. mazz, why are we analyzing this to such ridiculous degrees?? there is no reading between the lines; yanks and their limitless budget outbid the sox for a player who was going to the highest bidder the whole time.
Pete, I am surprised an idiot like you can even own a computer.......or are you in a library somewhere in lala land typing this stupid crap about the Yankees' players contacting a free agent about signing with them. With all big-headeded MLB players, it is the C-A-S-H!!!!! You sound like a Theo basher too!!! Watch and see where those Yankees are again this year in October!!!!! That NY on the hat stands for Next Year!!! Yankees suck! Go Bosox!!!!!
The rumor is true....but you've got the wrong Teixeira. The Yanks are sending the OTHER Teixeira to the Sox, the one they got in the trade with the White Sox. The deal goes like this....the Yanks send KANEOKA Texeira to the Red Sox and get whatever self respect the Red Sucks have left after blowing this one big time! The Yanks then sell that sliver of Sox self respect to the Rays [since they took the majority of it from them back in October] and add that money [about $3.28] to the $70 million they've got set aside to give Manny for the next 3 years in order to add insult to injury. OK...have I cleared that up for you dolts?!!!
Well, that is certainly a dumb comment. If the Sox were fortunate enough to sign him, you would be out celebrating. 290 avg / 35 hrs / 100+ rbi. Entering his prime the next 4 yrs. Believe me, you'll see a 300 avg, 40 hrs, 120+ rbi and an MVP during that time frame hitting in front of A-Rod
Are you people idiots? One guys posts what is clearly A JOKE about a Sox/NYY Tex trade, and 30 posts into it there are still idiots who need to comment on it. Snap out of it.
Glad I won't have to look at this goofy Quagmire looking dude every day. Now let's go get D. Lowe back!
downgrade from giambi? are you on crack... not to mention that there is more than just one aspect to baseball... ever hear of defense?
Hey Mazz this is a Boston Paper enough of Texeria. He chose the Yankees so lets talk about Boston. We have enough to write about over here without hearing about Tex any more.
GET OVER IT, HE'S A YANKEE!!!!!!!!
EVIL EMPIRE STRIKES AGAIN. U FAKE FANS
Only new info from the press conference is Texeira is the type of guy who would blame his wife to get out of responsibility for his NYY choice. Weasel. Let's move on, shall we
Of course Texeira is going to say he wanted to be a Yankee all along. You have to say things like that when you sign the type of contract he signed...
Why would the Yankees trade Tex to us for any combination of players, and why do we need him. Our lineup is just as good without the pressure
The Red Sox still have Tim Wakefield, and will continue to until 2014. Build a new park, Henry.
We have only John Henry to blame for this mess.
Teixiera signed with the Yankees because they stepped up with the best deal. If John Henry had got his act together and came up slightly in his offer then Tex might be a Red Sox now.
Instead of negotiating, Henry gambled and tried to call Boras's bluff with that ridiculous email to the media. Henry was counting on Boras not having another offer in his back pocket and off course it backfired on the Sox because the Yankees were lurking there all the time.
Henry should have continued to negotiate if Tex was really the guy that they HAD to have. That stunt with the email probably cost the Sox a great player.
Yankees met with Texeira in November and promised him 10 million over his highest offer with a maximum of 200 million.. The rest of Boris' time is spent driving up the offer. Tell me this didn't happen.
Does anyone think the Sox are in "bleed the beast" mode? The Yanks have the biggest salaries on their books, all of the them for a LONG time. So once a player becomes ordinary, the Yankees still have to pay a bloated salary. If they keep adding players at $20M + (they already have what, 5 or 6?), won't they eventually go bankrupt?
White Sox have the answer, if you are a Scott Boras client, they will not sign you, if you change to him as an agent, they will trade you.
OK, now as far Varitek, let him go. Not worth it anymore.
Scott Boras has played his foolish games around here for last time.
Wow. You might think Tex is a hall of famer. He will go down as one of the most over-rated and over paid players ever. I can't wait for the boos to start when he has his first slump.
It's going to be entertaining watching the Yankees fall this year. Youk, Lowell and Bay will all have better numbers than Tex. I can't believe the love fest for this "good" not great player.
Why in hell is this money grubber on the Boston.com page??? Last I loooked, he's not a Red Sock. Move on!!
It all comes down to pitching, pitching, pitching....Why is everyone is such a state because Texeira signed with the Yankees? Top to bottom, I think the Yankees have had a pretty good line-up the last several years and have no championships to show for it. It seems to me that the Red Sox lost out to the Yankees a few years ago when the Sox had designs on A-Rod. How'd that work out for both parties?
Let the Yankees have Texeira....maybe he and A-Rod will enjoy the same success as teammates again as they enjoyed in Texas.
My 2009 prediction. The Red Sox will finish in last place 30 games behind the Yankees who go on to win their 27th World Series championship. C.C. will win 25 games, A.J. will win 20 games and AROD and Tex will combine to hit 90 HR's and 285 RBI's.
HEY TONY, TEXIERA IS ABOUT TO GO THE BATHROOM, THAT'S FONT PAGE MATERIAL, GO GET EM TIGER.
Hey GlobeSox, get a grip, will ya? Stop the inferiority complex, will you? It's over, NY got him, end of story. Stop reporting on things that are not news. The Bruins and Celtics are playing in case you hadn't heard. GET A GRIP, WILL YOU?
With the Red Sox revenue streams limited by the size of their park and ratings on NESN down 20 percent last season, it seems logical to assume Theo and the Trio drew a fiscal line in the sand when Scott Bor-ass demanded the 9th and 10th season options. With Kevin Youkilis entrenched at first base, I have ZERO problem with their decision.
The bottom line provincial Red Sox fans is that the pinstripes have and always will be the most coveted place for an athlete to play ball.
I'm sick of this. Between Tony going on and on about it to milk 16 different blogs/articles out of it, the whiny Sox fans, and the loser NYY fans. Enough already.
Here is the entire saga summed up and wrapped up concisely:
Boras did his job by getting the most money for his client. Teixeira took the best offer. Period.
Why all you conspiracy theorists didn't see that coming right from day one is completely beyond my comprehension? Have you been following MLB for, I don't know, the last two decades?!?! It's almost always about who offers the highest contract. When Boras is involved, it's a virtual certainty.
Move on!
WOHOO! THE FINAL CHAPTER! NO MORE TEIXEIRA STORIES FROM TONY!!!
Now we'll see if Tony follows his own word...
Last year when my wife first saw Tex (playing for the Angels), she turned and said to me "He looks like a Yankee." In all honesty, he does kinda have one of those faces you just want to smack...
no doubt he would have been a nice fit.
but as with damon, pedro and arod you move on. those were "tragic" losses too. now go out and beat ny and it will be sweeter. i already hate this guy after listening to him talk like he has been a yankee for 10 years.
Well if that's where Texeira wants to be, he got his wish. But he should remember the ugly side of playing in the Bronx, especially when that administration is paying you a bundle of money: "no margin for error, absolutely none whatsoever!" And never mind the media and some of their rabid fans who are always very vocal and constantly put unbearable pressure on you.
Does anyone know if the yankees agreed to the 2 vesting years making it a potential 10 yr deal? Haven't seen this reported.
Why does Teixeira's hat not fit? Why is his head so big, too big to fit a hat? He must be on the juice. Please investigate this ASAP, Mazz.
Who cares?? Really?? Given the Yankees history of signing big money/big name free agents they could very well have saved the Boston GlobeSox from making another huge mistake.
This horse was dead two columns ago. Tony, please get over it, it'll be ok.
Rarely Have I read an article full of so much bullcrap. Teixeira told more lies in that one story than I have read over the past year. And I don't blame him. He is saying what he is supposed to say. And anyone who ever believes one word coming out of Boras's mouth should be institutionalized. The only thing that bothers me is the idea that we fans are dumb enough to believe any of it or even take it seriously.
Let's not overcomplicate it. Teixeira knew from the very beginning he wanted NY. His wife wanted NY. Boras always has only one objective - biggest contract. The Red Sox were never in it nor were Washington or Baltimore.
They were played to get the Yankee offer as high as possible. So exactly where is the surprise or revelation here? You can be sure that Henry, Lucchino and Epstein despise Boras and feel the need to shower after being in the same room with him. Epstein and Lucchino are baseball guys. They understand that deceit and lying are part of the process. I don't believe that Henry has the stomach for it. Problem is if the next guy they want is a Boras client they are between a rock and a hard place. Like a handful of other teams, they have to deal with him and I'm sure it makes them all want to vomit.
Here is the funniest part. There are thousands of saps that are Yankee fans that will think "oh see how much he wants to be a Yankee". News flash....he wants to be whatever team backed up the Brinks truck. Want the litmus test ? If he REALLY wanted to be a Yankee he would play for them if they offered him 5 million a year. Think he would do that ?
Texiera is a greedy slimeball just like the rest of them
Mazz, please come up with something new to write about. The Teixiera non-saga has gone beyond tedious. He looks like a classic Yankee in the photo today, the whole thing seems to have gone as, realistically, one could expect it to have gone. If Burnett can avoid the DL, the Yankees would seem to have revamped their rotation enough to compete very successfullly for the title, which makes this a proper three-team race in 2009 (maybe a 4 team race if the stars align for Toronto somehow), so on we go! I'm relieved Mikey Lowell will get the chance that he has thoroughly earned, to come back from his hip injury as this team's fulltime third baseman, and only sad that he's had to endure two months of sour uncertainty about his furture with the club. Go Sox, and here's to new subject matter as we get closer to the magic date of Pitchers And Catchers [fill in the blank on the latter!] Reporting :-) .
What's done is done. Move on. I'd rather find out what the Red Sox are going to do as plan B. Everyone is so fond of pointing out that the Red Sox were one game from going to the World Series despite an injured Lowell and Ortiz. They also forget that they had Manny Ramirez for at least half the season that helped get them to the playoffs. Even if Ortiz and Lowell return healthy, the 7,8,9 spot has become a black hole. It looks like this is going to be another transition year. I'd rather hear about what the Red Sox contingency plans are.
Three players... THREE freakin players cost this team over what? $420 million dollars. I love baseball but it is sad what it has turned out to be...
I couldn't agree with Hoss more:
It is ridiculous how we sit and listen to these spoiled overpaid athletes try to convince us that is not about the money. The conversation at dinner with his wife went like this,
"If I sign with Boston, you get a new Bentley, and if I sign with New York, you get 2 Bentleys."
"Oh honey, I want you to be a Yankee."
It is about the Benjamins - and only the Benjamins.
Mazz....give it up...are you obsessed with this guy? get over it!
I'm so sick of this dominating headlines! You should have moved on a long time ago! You're bordering consumer resentment...
I'm gonna love hatin this guy. Him and A-Rod are gonna be a chokin couple. Can't wait to see those Yankees next year. Collapsin under the pressure!
It certainly seems that Boras took at least a little advantage of "Cash" -- even though NY was the first (maybe only) choice, Boras likely used the Sox for leverage to get a few more bucks.
Yes, the Sox were used by Bor-ass to drive up the contract. Yes, they should not deal with him anymore. If a player is a Boras client, you don't play in Boston, period. When your contract is up (like Varitek), then it's good-bye. Still, the Red Sox are lacking the power in the lineup to compete this year. If Beckett is the 'odd year' Beckett, they'll have a good staff, but unless they improve their lineup, their pitching will get worn down facing lineups like New York's, Toronto's and Tampa's all season. In the American League East, you need pitching and hitting. I fear it's going to be a long summer in Boston.
In addition, I agree, it's time for a new stadium. They realized in the Harrington Administration, that if you want to win you need to stay close to New York in spending. Now the Yankees are sitting on a gold mine with the new 'Hankee' Stadium. Either build one in Boston (and continue to feed the beast) or make a serious push to implement a salary cap, before money destroys MLB.
Hey does anybody find it funny that the Yankees might lower their 10 million dollar offer to Pettite, because, and I quote, they want to tighten their purse strings. That is like asking the man who eats all those hot dogs, to eat one less. That is a classic comment, they want to tighten their purse strings. They never cease to amaze me. Then they go on about how great Cashman is as a GM. Well if you ask me to spend nearly 1/2 billion on 3 players, and outbid yourself in getting CC by nearly 80 million, I could be great. OH I forgot, it must of been the flowers and the video.
Oh my god, the belly aching!! Do you all realize that John McCain 'handled' losing a PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION better than the obsessive Fans/Columnists here?!! And, while "TEX" - - as he was so inaccurately called a WEEKS prior to signing with the Yankees - -was considered the big catch of the offseason by everyone from the Globe to NESN...... he's now villified in the press. Because- sniff!! BOO HOO!! - he said NO to Boston. Preciscely why......as neither a NY or Sox fan, I'm happy he -- and the wife didn't come here. Maybe ya'll should focus on the future of.....Your CAPTIAN?? After all - he IS a Red Sock you know.
Let see.
1. People are out of work.
2. Layoffs up the yingyang
3. Taxes up
4. Bennies cut
5. Food expenses up
And everyone worried about the Red Sox,,,,unbelievable. Who cares as hes not going to lose any sleep worrying about the fans ..
You know ,,the Red Sox are really worried about thier fans.
It's absolutely amazing that the author continues to find this story newsworthy. A free agent signed with another team, one he apparently always wanted to play for, and we continue to hear about it (Teixeira obsession?). The "closed door" negotiations (as if he was there) are described as if some top-level cabinet decisions that affect national security were taking place. Does anybody really care to get a "play-by-play" of these failed contract negotiations? It seems as though Mr. Massarotti is not happy unless he can report, definitively, on how it was really the Sox management's fault that they didn't land Teixeira.
Maz- you and I both know that CorpComm (i.e. PR) got their hands on this one to improve the public image of Mr Texeira, despite his sentiments toward Boston and his decision to play for their rival. However, this is rather absurd! It's not like Sox fans will be cheering for Texeira when he comes to town! Sox fans will not view Mr Texeira as though...he's a Red Sox. In fact, the pinstripes will surely give him away.
It's players like ARat and Texeira that fuel the rivalry between the two towns. It's not so much because they're good ball players, it's more about how they leverage themselves unto new york. No one wants to be used and deceived, particularly the lot that wears the blue hats with the "B" on them.
Ultimately, we have two Dirt Dogs on the corners (i.e. Youk and Mikey) who wear WS rings. They have two of the highest paid players in the league who have won nothing...'nuff said.
I.m sure all you whining Sox fans would love to have the Steinbrenner family run your team. God Bless them for always having the Yanks in position to win it all year after year even when they're not successful they are still The Story. The Sox have a really good team for the last 5 years probably the best. Players get old and move on but the ownership has to be committed to always be looking to upgrade and take a few chances. The Sox want to keep the homey feeling with old Fenway but in reality they need to upgrade to a higher revenue ballpark, otherwise they are going to be far behind the Yanks and a lot of other teams.
I am so tired of Texeira-gate. Isn't there more to flog in baseball than the dead-horse-story of how Texeira jilted the Sox to became a Yankee? We've been treated to week after week of Texeira blather on boston.com. The headlines on the web site keep trying to win our interest, hinting at intrigue and double dealing - "more questions than answers" and "The final story". I know it's winter, and with spring training still a month away I'm as eager as anybody to read anything remotely related to baseball. But I'm getting so tired of the endless rehashing of all the inane Texeira minutiae. How about we switch the focus to the goings-on in the Arizona league and the Dominican league, or how our minor league prospects look for the coming year, etc.? Can't we give Texeira a rest?
Fundamental question: Is any player worth $200 million --- Is it smart to sign even a great player/pitcher to a 10 year deal? Are there other business model options available in putting together a competitive team? One high ankle sprain in June, and the Yankee investment in Tex goes down the drain for 2009. And there is always the risk that the next can't miss "phenom" or future hall of famer, will suddenly lose his stroke for some unexplained reason. Baseball history is littered with players with early career year statistics similar to Tex's who disappeared off the face of the baseball world all of a sudden for whatever reason. So forget about it. Spend the money wisely John Henry, god knows you have a whole lot less of it than you did say in July of 2007. Pitching, Pitching, Pitching. In baseball, pitching rules anyway. Over.
I THINK HENRY IS DOING A (FIRESALE) LIKE THE ONE HE DID ON FLORIDA BACK IN 2003.
ALL THE MONEY THAT THE RED SOX MADE IS GOIN TO HENRY CHK ACCOUNT
Who cares? How about talking about something a little more important. You act like this is a big scandal and requires a deep investigation. This is not Watergate 2.
Who cares about Teixeria he is a repeat of Arod (almost word for word on why he chose the Yankees) and where did his BS get him Does he have a ring in the time he has been there maybe Teixeria should of consulted him first to see how many WS thye have won since he joined the team and seeing as we have gotten 2 rings since Arod went to the Yankees They can have him and all the other Borasssss jokes !!!!!
You are so jealous about not getting a player you did not need in the first place. You got Youkliss with Anderson coming in 2 years. Greed? You Sox fans and Sox reporters are selfish and greedy. Only the Yanks and Angels actually needed a 1st baseman .
You need a catcher and another SP. Again, as always it is always about the Yankees. Be prepared to see more money coming off the books the next 4 years, as they get younger and insert players from the farm.
It might be a Boston paper, but it is owned by the NY Times....as well as part of the Sox (and thus the RSN as well).
Sorry, but you guys in Boston have been "Trumped"
Yes, the Sox were used by Boras to drive up the contract. Yes, they should not deal with him anymore. If a player is a Bor-ass client, you don't play in Boston, period. When your contract is up (like Varitek), then it's good-bye. Still, the Red Sox are lacking the power in the lineup to compete this year. If Beckett is the 'odd year' Beckett, they'll have a good staff, but unless they improve their lineup, their pitching will get worn down facing lineups like New York's, Toronto's and Tampa's all season. In the American League East, you need pitching and hitting. I fear it's going to be a long summer in Boston.
In addition, I agree, it's time for a new stadium, it maybethe only way to compete in the long term. They realized in the Harrington Administration, that if you want to win you need to stay close to New York in spending. Now the Yankees are sitting on a gold mine with the new 'Hankee' Stadium. Either build one in Boston (and continue to feed the beast) or make a serious push to implement a salary cap, before money destroys MLB.
Tony, a few questions. Since the Red Sox are clearly in need of a catcher and a bat, what is the next step for them? Do they attempt to fill both needs with one player or do they address them separately and trade a regular? Also, how do the Sox ameliorate their relationship with Lowell now that they very publicly tried to make his role obsolete?
"I'm sure there could have been [a deal with Boston], but like I said, contract is important. When everyone was kind of around the same contract, there was no rush for me to make a decision, so that's kind of the way I went about that meeting with Boston.
"I have so much respect for [the Red Sox], but when their offer wasn't with the Yankees' and it just didn't seem like they were going to continue to better their offer, and the Yankees came in and did what they did, it was an easy decision."
Bottom line: He's talking out of both sides of his mouth. If all the contract offers were around the same, then the decision should've been easy: Pick the team you want to play for. $170 million, $180 million, with that kind of money does it really matter? It's more than he'll ever need in his lifetime. If he really wanted to play for the Sox, then their offer would've been enough since it was the same range as everyone else's.
He wanted to play for the Yankees. The Yankees were going to always have the biggest offer. There it is.
We don't need to make a big splash to keep up with the Yankees. We never will from a spending standpoint. The Yankees needed the big splash to keep up with us and the Rays (who went to the World Series with a fraction of the payroll).
We were 1 game away from another World Series. We'll be there again this year.
Hmmm....Boston or New York ?...........hmmmm.Hey what would you do in Tex' shoes? The center of the entire universe, or the one time Athens of the North.If you or one of your children had a job offer in Boston or NY,face it,they(or you) are going south to the Big Apple....for the money,presige,tradition,culture,entertainment,business opportunities,highest standard of living etc.
Lord I'm tired of this topic. I hope the Sox front office isn't taking this particular fairly predictable free agent saga half as seriously as the media and half of the bloggers on these boards are. I was getting tired of repeating "what's going to happen to Mikey Lowell if the Sox DO somehow end up with Teixiera?" but I pray we're done with these post-post-post mortems. Pitchers and catchers (which ones?) report in a month, halleluyah!
Ok so he wants to play for the Yankees. Gee, huge surprise there. I guess it had nothing to do with the fact that they were the highest bidder. It doesn't matter anymore. He's a Yankee and will be hated for years to come just like we can't stand A-Rod. There are so many talented people on that roster that I hope the chemistry between having too many superstars on their team slaps them in the face. It will be more like 9 players, 9 taxis after the games.
I object to Teixieira's picture being on the front page of the sports section. This is The Boston Globe, not the NYPost. We still have an excellent team.
BillMendon
And for those of you who are ready to crucify Henry...let me ask you a couple questions-
in the '03 offseason, how many of you thought the Yankees getting A-Roid was going to have them winning the next several WS?
how many WS have the Yankees won this decade?
how many of the Sox won (here's a hint...more then the Yankees)
why do u scribes give this so much attention...its not Sox news so who cares in the Nation....must be a slow day
I agree with a lot of the comments, but I was surprised at home likeable Teixieira was at the conference -- he seemed almost giddy (although lots pf $$ will do that). By the way, it appears that the Yankees did not have the highest offer -- the Nationals (??!) apparently did.
I am so tired of the amount of whining around Red Sox Nation. Why don't you crybabies be grateful that MLB has a Wild Card, without which we would still be chanting 1918. Forget the World Series, lets see you win the American League East.
I cannot believe the level of ignorant rants on here. Are you people serious? Please stop and read and listen to Tony for 5 minutes. He has every right to push this story to the edge as he has presented his points in the most professional way possible. Perhaps, maybe I am just a bit more inept of business man here in Manhattan, but other than a few of you Boston fans, none of you get it, at all.
The missed signing of Teixeira is an epic failure for the Sox. Tony gets it. Boston wants to act like a big market team, speak and play like one, then you need to match the caliber of your largest rival. This signing, if happened for Boston would have been colossal. Now all things aside, this guy is not the an immediate HOF (yet) lets be fair, and may not have justified a $200mm contract, but he certainly is worth every penny $150mm and lower. I mean for the love of god, Vernon Wells is signed to a $126mm contract, you have contracts for players btw $100mm-$150mm that are not even playing (Zito and more) The point that Tony is making is one which money should not have been an object in order to show up their rival. I mean what is $30mm or $40mm I suppose once you're talking these numbers. Henry is not a genius business person, they clearly dropped the ball. Yeah so what Teixeira wanted to be a Yankee. Ok and. People this is a business. If Boston had handled this right and showed some emotion and enthusiams to have this guy there and backed it up with a legit contract, you know what. This guy would be wearing the red and white. Myself, as a business man in sales here in Manhattan, you cannot believe how many times I have clients that put emotion out there..i.e I really would like this or want this. But if the deal is right, it can be influenced. And I am not talking about pushing or coarcing someone. If you're a good a business person, you can make it happen. Fact is Boston, just did not handle this right. If Theo and Henry came out early November and said, look Mark, we want you, you are the player of the off season. We will make you the name of Boston, when it comes to players of your caliber, let money not be an object, lets not dwell on the small details. We know we want you and we will gladly do what it takes to accommodate your family. Boston just could not sell it. Frankly, the management of this, makes the Pirates managment look talented.
Now many of you like to debate the economic factors currently. Yes this is not the market to be spending $200mm on players. No, probably not, but this is professional sport based on competition. A sport which, may I remind you, is prosperous in poor times and wealthy times. People watch baseball. Face it. Boston withdrew any intentions of being competitive and most importantly fueling the rivaly more.
Another thing fans, the Orioles are cooking somethings right now. Toronto has players and some upside, they sign or make a trade or two, guess what Boston, I;d be thinking of rank next year. You people are all arguing that you will be ok. Really? Take another look at your roster. To be fair, you do have a good team, but there are some serious holes now and it ain't going to get much better for you in the near future.
I'd worry about fielding a team right now that does not finish 4th or worse 5th. Like I said, the Orioles are cooking some stuff up.
Bard and Penny. Come on...really.
I wish you guys luck, and as I always say, I encourage the competition btw Yanks and Socks and hope for the one game out situation on game 161 every season, not this year boys and girls. Tony needs to push this till Henry calls him and says he is buying the paper and firing him, because you guys f'd up on this one. Like it or not.
Enough already with Teixiera and the Yankees. Cover the Red Sox.
I'm a Yankee fan and happy to have Teixeira on board. From a Red Sox point of view I can understand why they may not have wanted him. It would have torn up the chemistry of your team, Lowell would have been shipped out Youklis to third . If Popi comes back strong and with the rest of your team you guys will be in the race till the end. I still think the Yankees need more maybe Manny to win the division
I heard that the Sox will trade Beckett, Bucholz, Masterton and the rights to Jim Rice's HOF (hopefully) jersey for Teixieira. Then they'll put Tex at first, with Lowell the SS and Youk the thirdbaseman. Since Dice-K throws 150 per start they plan on using him for only 5 innings per game then start him again in 2 days. That'll solve the lack of pitching. I also heard that the Yanks bought Santa and will make him part of the deal.
"I never wanted this average Joe (i.e. compared to Ramirez/Papi)."
You're joking, right? PLEASE tell me you're joking!
Without Manny, Papi is NOTHING! We've seen that time and again. I always laughed when Papi's name was mentioned as an M.V.P. candidate all those years he had Manny giving him protection. It was Manny who was ALWAYS the M.V.P. in Boston. Papi was just the guy who batted in front of him. It was because of Manny that Papi wasthe player he was for all those years.
Tex is Zeus compaired to Big Sloppy!
1) Leverage is used to get the best deal by all of us (cars, homes, free agents)
2) The Yanks have not been as good as the Sox lately, next November, maybe sooner, we'll know if the Yanks moves make a difference - not now
3) Your GM got played - Yanks desparately needed this guy and the Sox really needed to keep him away from them...with the ticket prices you pay I'd be pissed
4) Any team with Youkilis, Pedroia and Big Papi should not be making fun of the looks of other players
5) Your hate for the Yankees is entertaining to their fans...keep up the good work
Clearly a good player, but not worth the moolah and what Boston was looking to lose as a result of having him.
MOVE ON PEOPLE! Theo, please make a move some time soon. A big trade for a J.Mauer would make a difference. If not we will have a decent year still and maybe next year we go for A.Pujols.
Another Jason Giambi.............wait til his wife gets assaulted when he slumps...........180 million gets us 4 more Dustin Pedroias..........as for the Yamkees winning the World Series............SEE YA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
michael NYC,
Your line of "Frankly, the management of this, makes the Pirates managment look talented." immediately brands you as a fraud. I won't even take the time to highlight other foolishness and inaccuracies in your comment because clearly you are a yankee fan troll.
Now run along and do some more primping so that you'll look good when you clap your hands and point at yourself in the bathroom mirror and say "I'm going to go out there and sell today!" before heading out to the corner with your stack of newspapers.
MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT IF HENRY KNEW NY WOULD GET THE LAST CALL, WHY DIDN'T HE MAKE THEM PAY MORE????
Manny Manny Manny!
Hamilton and Mauer? That would be sweet!
Mazz can you talk about something more relavent now?
Hoss, I should apologize then if you were offended by my typos. Being at work and having other commitments does not allow me to focus word by word, especially when typing quickly.
Never been called a 'Yankee fan troll' not sure if I should be flattered or offended.
Unfortunately, and consistent to about 90% of the other Boston fans on here, you completely missed the point I am trying to make. If you had enough sense to read between the lines, I in fact support Boston being a winning team and believe it or not I want them to succeed, since it in theory makes the rivalry all the better.
Your comment was not appropriate, but frankly should I expect anything less from a Nose-up Bostonian. Perhaps I should use better judgement when to trying to have a rational discussion with the irrational.
The Red Sox lost out on the Texiera sweepstakes. Boo-hoo. Yes it kind of sucks and yes I do believe that John Henry is a moron for sending out that e-mail /jinxing the negotiations with Boras. If there's anything he should have learned about Boras it's that he's a sneak bastard and if you try and mess with him he will take you out of the equation. I'm sure that Theo is not happy with him but oh well.
The important thing is to learn from this mistake and not let it happen again. Let Theo do his thing, it's worked so far. Also since we have all this extra money (from Manny's contract gone; not signing Texiera) we should go out and do something with the money. My thoughts: Why not go out and try and sign the top 2 relievers available on the free agent market? They are inexpensive but well worth the money because you can never have a good enough bullpen. I know that we already have a pretty good one but whats the harm in spending an extra 4 mill a year to get Brandon Lyon and/or whoever else is available? Manny Delcarmen is not going to be our go to guy in the bullpen, I think that's clear by now. Pleeeeasseee bolster the bullpen. It is just as helpful as getting a slugger.
Mazz,
When do you start reporting on who we do have and how the spring training roster looks? LIke who is hot from the minors and how is Lowell's rehab and is Beckett's arm ok? You know, actual relevant material regarding the Sox and the upcoming season?
Either that, or get a job with the NY Daily News and follow Teixiera around all the time. He'd probably think that was creepy, but you have sorta been doing it for weeks already.
Maybe we can we donate to a fund that can get us reporting on the Sox and no more news about the Yankees, who they have signed and who we don't have?
I am now glad we didn't get Texeira...he just typifies the unbelievably greedy pro athletes of today......secondly, he is a wuss letting his wife tell him where to play ..she wants to be in NYC and maybe her husband will make even more money with endorsements.........I hope and pray he falls on his horse toothed face (is he John Elways twin or what??)
I am now glad we didn't get Texeira...he just typifies the unbelievably greedy pro athletes of today......secondly, he is a wuss letting his wife tell him where to play ..she wants to be in NYC and maybe her husband will make even more money with endorsements.........I hope and pray he falls on his horse toothed face (is he John Elways twin or what??)
what a surprise....another greedy athlete ...secondly he's a big wuss for letting his wife tell him where he should play...she's a selfish as he is..she wants to be in NYC.....when is enough EVER enough??