A Teixeira Tease...A BIG One...

The Boston Red Sox will try their darndest to buy the services of gold glove first baseman Mark Teixeira via the free agent route. They, the Yankees and the Angels are alike in their thinking and the ensuing bidding war can and will reach stratospheric levels. And why not? Teixeira is a solid gold glove caliber first baseman who can and will hit from both sides of the plate for average and for power. He will not be 29 years old until April, 2009, so he'll be in his prime for the next few years. If he is added to the middle of the Sox lineup (batting cleanup behind Big Papi and in front of Youk?), Boston will have their Manny-less power potency back once again. There is a hitch, however. Teixeira's agent, the one and lonely (but rich) Scott Boras, will be looking for a long term deal in the $22-$25 million dollar range...per year, of course. So a five year deal could conceivably have a net worth of more than $130,000,000.00. Believe it or not, the Sox have the bucks and they remain a welcome destination to be for players who haven't yet worn a world championship ring. If Boston is successful, Youk would be our everyday third baseman and Mike Lowell will become dispensable. That's sad, but there's no other way around it. Here's what Scott Boras said about one of his two big money clients...

"There are very few players in sports who offer a team a franchise face, the completeness of offense, defense, and of being a good teammate - and we have, for the first time, an idea of his ability in postseason play," said agent Scott Boras, who represents Teixeira. "You're talking really about a franchise player."

Peter here, and yeah, I know what you're thinking...once a salesman, ALWAYS a salesman, but Boras is (gulp!) good at what he does. In this case, what he said was exactly true. Mark Teixeira is a bona fide team-turning spark plug. Adding him to the Red Sox mix would make for many interesting pennant-contending years to come. And isn't that what Theo Epstein, John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino want? The answer, of course, is a resounding and gut thumping Tarzan-like YES!

I hope your weekend was wild and wonderful. Wait a second, how about just wonderful? Mine was OK. I have that doctor appointment for my left upper arm tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7:30am EST. I'll know SO much more after that, good or bad, bothersome or..or....or I don't know. I hope your Monday will be a good one, click on the title for more about the Sox in another slim baseball news day, and as always, BE WELL.