ANGELS Make Texeira Eight Year Offer

Hello on this still moonlit Sunday morning. I wake up so early, it's crazy. OK, on to baseball. The big story is the LA Anaheim California Angels' offer to slugger Mark Teixeira. It would pay the slugger $160 million for eight years of playing time. That's steep but totally expected, so Boston was NOT taken off guard. They will prepare a counter offer of approximately the same value and then it will be up to the player himself. He says he wants to play on the east coast, closer to his and his wife's families, for a winner. Let's hope that is true, for if it is, the Red Sox are a slam dunk destination. Here's what the Angels GM, Tony Reagins, had to say about their mammoth offer...

"Scott (Boras) knows where we stand," Reagins told the LA Times. "We have a level of salary and years that we're comfortable with, and hopefully that will get it done. . . . If it doesn't, we'll have to move on."

And here is a blurb from the latest LA Times...

"The Angels have offered an eight-year contract to Mark Teixeira, general manager Tony Reagins said Friday night. The contract would be the longest and richest in club history. The value could almost double the previous club record, the $90 million guaranteed last year to Torii Hunter."

Peter here, and what I THINK Reagin is saying is that twenty million bucks per year for eight years is the upper limit the Angels are comfortable with. The Red Sox will have to gulp and at least match that offer. They have a reduced payroll (so far this offseason) and they have the money to spend. Teixeira is a PERFECT fit for the club and I'm fairly certain Boston will go to the ends of the earth (and their wallets) to land the switch hitting powerful gold glove first baseman. That's my take on the situation right now...I know I've written so much about this upcoming blockbuster deal in the last two or three weeks, but I have to. The acquisition of Mark Teixeira will completely revamp the once fearsome Red Sox lineup. Sure, they were potent after Manny left via the yellow brick road of insanity, but with Mark, the lineup will be awesome yet again. Boston is stocked with plenty of pitching arms and have improved the back end of their bullpen immeasurably by snagging Ramirez. With Delcarmen et. al., the bridge to Papelbon is complete. Now it's time to find our cleanup hitter...Ellsbury, Pedey, Papi, Tex, Youk, Bay and JD Drew...what a first seven...with 'Tek (?) and whoever plays shortstop as the numbers eight and nine. Top to bottom? STRENGTH, POTENCY, RUN SCORING ABILITY.

Th-th-th-thats all, folks. Enjoy your football Sunday (or UCONN women's basketball, in my case) and as always, BE WELL. Nastrovia, shalom and l'chaim. Your comments are welcome and needed. What do you think? Is eight years too long? Is $160 million too much? I say no and no! Click on this post's title for more on our Red Sox.