Dare to dream, Yankees fans. Merry Teix-mas! Your Christmas wish has come true, just a couple days early.
Many skeptics said it was just too much money for the Yankees to spend after grabbing CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. Undeniably, it’s a lot of money -- eight years and $180 million for Texeira bringing their total contracts to the three to $423.5 million.
Too much money? Who cares, it’s not yours.
Irresponsible to spend in a recession? Not a chance, they’re reinvesting in their thriving business.
The Yankees clearly needed to cement a strong hitter in the middle of the order to decisively push ahead of the American League East on paper.
Now, on paper, the Yankees have done it. They’ve assembled all the personnel to make themselves, once again, the favorites for 2009’s World Series race.
The signing is still pending a physical, but all indication is that it’s happening for eight years and $180 million.
Mark Teixeira brings to the Yankees the promise of a .300+ batting average, 30+ home runs, 100+ runs, and 110+ RBI. That’ll look mighty nice batting behind, or even ahead of, Alex Rodriguez.
Teixeira takes over first base, relegating recent addition Nick Swisher to backup first base/DH/center field.
The Yankees’ team salary is now pushing toward the 2008 mark that Yankee brass aimed to lower significantly.
Whether the Yankees will continue to pursue Andy Pettitte for an additional $10 million or trade for Mike Cameron which would also be an additional $10 million is yet to be seen.
- Prior reports on Teixeira here and here.
- According to Orioles Examiner Jay Trucker here, a Yankees fan's miracle is an Orioles fan's nightmare.
- Check in with Mark Fuery, Boston Sports Examiner, on the Red Sox missing out on the Teixeira sweepstakes here.
- MLB Examiner David Pinto adds his take here.
- Alex Brown, MLB Examiner, on how the Red Sox are the losers here.
Comments
Well, uhh, congratulations [hangs head in shame]
I linked you on my Tex signing post if you get a chance to reciprocate.
Thanks Jay. I know this must be hard for you - I'm sorry. Fair warning, you may not want to read for a little while until we get our gloating and celebrating out of the way here.
Thanks, Pete. It's cool. I wouldn't ask for the link if I didn't want the heat. I'm used to it. I just can't figure out why MacPhail is saying the O's were willing to spend $20 mil on a player, but spending $23 is too much. I mean, wouldn't it have just made more sense to stay out of it all together?
Jay, that's a great question unless the O's were never serious about signing Tex. There's not much of a difference when you're talking about adding 1 year and adding $3M per year, unless the first offer was just posturing for the O's to say to fans "hey, we tried, better luck next time". Or if he thought he was entitled to a hometown discount, but I'd go with option 1.
Hey Pete!
First of all, I looked at the link to Jay's article. Nicely written and not all that bitter. He stopped short of complaining about the spending spree, and good thing as it would be a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Now for my personal feelings. YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!! (: I am the happiest I have been in a week right now. I didn't know or think the Yankees were really "in" the chase full throttle. I was actually hoping he would go to Washington just to keep him out of Boston, and believing we were already good enough without him. I couldn't have imagined this happening. It's better than when we swooped in and took A Rod away from Boston. It is almost too good to be true. We took the three plums of this years free agent field and got a lot younger at the same time.
Here is something to ponder Pete - did they sign Swisher as a smokescreen to cover the play they made today? Will they keep Nick now? I would sort of like to see Brett Gardner make the team out of spring camp as the 4th outfielder so we have some speed, and unless they want to keep Swisher as a back up 1st baseman and sometime corner outfielder....well it just makes me wonder how that will shake out. Anyway, CC, AJ, Teixeira and the usual cast of regulars looks like plenty to bring a deep, and exciting run into the post season and leave those beaneaters out in the cold. Oh, by the way, what an unfortunate choice in uniform they made up there.
Well I will go to sleep just thinking about the sort of damage this line up can inflict on the baseball world. Ah, sweet smell of success here we come!
Teixeira was the one FA (aside from CC)that I REALLY wanted the Yanks to sign. It really is crazy how the Yanks were barely mentioned in virtually every post made about Teixeira and where he would go, then out of nowhere landed him. I was so shocked and amazed when I heard this earlier today.
If the Red Sox would have signed him, it would have meant big trouble for the Yanks and the rest of the AL. Now we can breathe a sigh of relief as we have a HUGE bat in the lineup to give some support to A-Rod.
Nice post, like always Pete. Have a great Holiday!
Merry Christmas Eve!
Phil, Jay does some great stuff, be sure to check in for some really well written Orioles updates. You know, I never really thought the Yankees were in it for real either. I always knew they had the money to do it but never really thought they'd pull the trigger. I thought the best case scenario was not the Red Sox getting him, but man was I wrong! Interesting theory on Swisher, and certainly not impossible. In any case he now become a great bench/DH/outfield option. All three are areas where they need depth and he fits all three. I like Gardner too, but there's also nothing saying that Cabrera is a lock by any means to start in center. Cashman now also has added flexibility to keep shopping trades for Swisher, Cabrera, or Matsui who is coming off surgery.
Rob, I appreciate it! You're right, he's going to fit it so well with the Yanks. Shocked, amazed, and thrilled, that was me too. The Yankees rarely can keep their intentions quiet but they sure did it. Maybe all that shouting about Ramirez by Hank, and Phil's theory on Swisher, really did keep the Yanks out of the conversation for Teixeira.
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