| Christopher Reina. 23rd December, 2008 - 6:12 pm
 I'm currently reading Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine and with the Yankees giving out $423 million to three players this winter, the parallel is unavoidable.
This is definitely a G rated, as much as sports really matters version of it, but a version of it nonetheless. You can't compare Brian Cashman to Pinochet. And I couldn't imagine how a man could run the Yankees and possess as many very holy qualities as Brian Cashman.
For the Yankees to stick an in-his-prime switch hitter between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter (hey now), the upgrade is tremendous. Dollar for dollar, the Yankees alo will have an easier time recouping that investment than the Nationals or Orioles surely, as well as the Red Sox.
I had a hunch/wish that Teixeira would end up in Baltimore or Washington, but that would have smelled like Alex E. Rodriguez - December 11th, 2000 - Texas Rangers - Tom Hicks - $252 million - Scott Boras all over again in frightening ways for all parties.
Fully free from the advantages of playing in Arlington, Teixeira still had the best season of his career in 2008, posting an OPS of .962 in 103 games with Atlanta and 54 with the Angels.
His homer production is unlikely to reach the levels of 2005 when he hit 43 (30 at home), but he should consistently be in the 30-35 range for the entire duration of the contract.
Teixeira is still trending upwards, will be just a few days shy of 29 on Opening Day, plays a great first base and will eventually go down as one of the best five or six switch hitters in history (only Mantle, Berkman, Chipper and Reggie Smith have a better career OPS+).
His career on-base average is .378, but he had a .449 OBP hitting ahead of Vladimir Guerrero (in an off year) with the Angels and will work pitchers ahead of A-Rod and force them into challenging him.
Another advantage for the Yankees: When will a left-handed hitter of Teixeira's caliber reach the open market again? Matt Holiday will be available next winter and is now virtually assured of ending up in Boston and because of being a switch hitter, a first baseman and having better home/road splits, Teixeira is the better player.
Other options next winter could have included Rick Ankiel and Jason Bay, but both of those players are closer to Rondell White for the 2002 Yankees than Teixeira.
This signing leaves a lot of work to be done for Cashman. They have Hideki Mastui, Xavier Nady, Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher sharing time with the assumption that Jorge Posada won't need to DH.
The Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron trade discussions will now reappear as well and I don't see a situation where they don't re-sign Andy Pettitte.
While you don't sign anyone to an $180M contract to merely block your rival, preventing Boston from signing Teixeira (whom they desperately wanted) is just a Green Monster Cherry on top. Boston's OPS was 36 points better than the Yankees and they averaged .35 of a run per game better as well, but I expect those numbers to flip in 2009.
The Yankees felt as if they had to sign CC Sabathia, they wanted to sign A.J. Burnett and while we're at it they signed Teixeira.
Grading the Deal for Yankees: A-
Other than Teixeira getting $180M over eight years, the only other way he really helped himself is that every media member can now spell T-E-I-X-E-I-R-A without fail and without double checking their notes. But otherwise, he and Scott Boras' pure money grab techniques were starkly obvious. I've heard him called the D word (the one that rhymes with Deloitte & Touche) multiple times over the past few days. There are a lot of ways to spend $180M, however, and many roads to championships in the Bronx.
Teixeira turned down the Rangers' $140 million extension offer in 2007, which would have paid him $17.5 million annually. That decision proved wise in both the increase in money that the Yankees will pay him and also a situation where winning is demanded and often achieved.
One downside for Teixeira, he can no longer wear 23 in honor of Don Mattingly.
The only real downside for Boras in sending Teixeira to the Yankees is that he's damaged Manny's chances of a truly rich payday.
Grading the Deal for Teixeira: B+ |
