Despite previous reports that free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira would sign with the Boston Red Sox, Teixeira followed the trail of money and other free agents to New York to play for the Yankees. The deal is worth about $180 million.
The contract would pay Teixeira an average of $22.5 million per season. New York has spent more than $400 million in salary in the last month, with $161 million going to left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia in a seven-year deal and $82.5 million on right-hander A.J. Burnett for five years.
Teixeira’s salary also lifts the Yankees into a league of their own class; they would have the four highest-paid players in Major League Baseball, including third baseman Alex Rodriguez, shortstop Derek Jeter and Sabathia.
The Yankees swooped in on the 28-year-old Teixeira on Tuesday when it was believed the Boston Red Sox or the Washington Nationals were the likeliest to be his future employer. The Red Sox’s offer was believed to be in the range of $170 million, and the Nationals reached out with an offer perhaps greater than that of Boston.
Teixeira batted .308 with 33 home runs, 121 RBIs and a .552 slugging percentage for the Angels and Braves last season and has been regarded as one of the premier free agents on the market. This seems like a predictably lunatic deal to me; the younger Steinbrenner really is a chip off the ol’ block. The Yankess are really trying to buy a pennant this year — it will be fun watching them fail, if they fail.
I’m glad the Nats didn’t fork over the cash Teixeira got from the Yankees. If the Nats are going to spend $180 million, they need to get several good players, not just one, because the Nats are not just one good – or great – player away from respectability.
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