UPDATE 11:01 PM: SOX OWNER SAYS “NOT A FACTOR” FOR TEIXEIRA
UPDATE 6:54 PM: RED SOX FINALIZING DEAL WITH TEIXEIRA
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Milton Bradley – SD Dirk
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Part of the reason the Red Sox want Mark Teixeira is because of his clear talent and the ability to give the Red Sox “offensive predictability,” as Peter Gammons told Fire Brand a couple weeks ago.
I’m not sold on the benefits of Teixeira, but with the news that the Sox are in the lead for him, it stands to reason that the brass is sold on what Tex can bring, even if it may force Mike Lowell to the bench or another organization.
The question becomes — why are we looking at just Teixeira? There are two main arguments against signing Teixiera: the first being the length and dollars of the contract and the second being the blocking of Lars Anderson and Mike Lowell.
Considering it seems like a foregone conclusion that the Sox are going to bring in a bopper, (and thus push Mike Lowell out of a job) why not bring in players who would command short-term deals? Why are we limiting ourselves to Mark Teixeira? Why couldn’t we look at…
MILTON BRADLEY
Bradley had a sensational year last year for the Texas Rangers and led the American League in offense, hitting .321/.436/.563. Long considered a injury-prone bad seed, he went well on his way to reversing both concepts last year.
While Bradley certainly still isn’t out of the woods with his health, tell me what’s wrong with this deal. He wants a multi-year pact and reportedly is close to a deal with the Chicago Cubs. If that falls through, we could snap him up on a one-year deal, or heck, what’s wrong with giving two or three?
Bradley is an offensive giant who could give David Ortiz breathers at DH and play the field the other days (remember, this is what he would do as a Cub). He could play right field and left field. Although he has extensive experience in center I would gather the Sox would keep him out of center for his health and shift J.D. Drew over there. It would be, for all intents and purposes, a four-man outfield like we had last year… except instead of Coco, we have Milton Bradley.
I’m making crazy sense here, and you know it.
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Pat Burrell – Scott Ableman
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PAT BURRELL
Pat the Bat is fresh off a World Series championship and is a butcher in the field defensively at left-field. He’s long been rumored to be overdue for a move to first base so the Sox could sign him to a similar deal to the one that Raul Ibanez got to replace Burrell in Philadelphia (three years, a shade over 30 million).
Burrell has a career .257/.367/.485 line but has been above .500 in slugging percentage four years running and just bopped 33 homers. He’d be another 30-homer, 100-RBI bat that the Sox apparently need desperately.
ADAM DUNN
He’s finding the market a bit more frigid than he thought, which isn’t surprising since he is in the Manny class of terrible fielders and whiffs a ton to go along with a career .247 batting average (he hit .236 last year). That said… that .381 OBP is nice. Four straight years of exactly 40 homers (and the fifth year being 46 in 2004) is nice.
Everyone concedes he’s likely to end up a first baseman, so why not sign Dunn for two-three years and enjoy his walks and his 40+ homers? The only team that might be willing to give him five or more years are the Washington Nationals. If he doesn’t want to be a Nat, Boston provides a great opportunity for him.
So remind me again why we need Mark Teixeira when there are three bats just as good as him on the market, all of which would command shorter years and significantly shorter dollars (a smaller concern than the years)?
If Lars Anderson pans out, he is no longer blocked. If we let Jason Bay leave as a free agent, any of the above names can slot in as a full-time left fielder or we can simply chase another free agent. Why commit ourselves to eight-to-10 years of Teixeira if we can make a shorter commitment that addresses our needs and gives us more long-term flexibility?
Here are some rebuttals:
- Teixeira is gifted defensively, something all the above are not gifted with.
- Teixeira may reflect the safest bet over the term of the contract. (Maybe.)
- Teixeira is looked at as the class of the free agent hitters for a reason.
- Teixeira gives long-term stability at first base, allowing the Sox to focus on future needs at other positions.
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I’m not sure that Milton Bradley is well on his way to reverse the idea he’s a hot head. Last June he “bounded up four flights of stairs looking for Royals television announcer Ryan Lefebvre” because he “heard what he considered derogative remarks made by Lefebvre on a TV in the Rangers clubhouse”.
“Upon returning to the clubhouse, Bradley screamed at teammates and broke down in tears.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3438827
Perhaps it was just the strain of being constantly criticized, and perhaps he has changed, but I would question how he’d hold up being scrutinized by the Boston media and RSN.
Mike Lowell – Mike Lowell is a class act and a phenomenal guy to have in the club house. But, he’s going to be entering the ‘09 season at 35 y/o which is the stage of a career where player production levels typically drop off significantly. This is the time to sell Mike Lowell high before his trade value takes a big hit.
Lars Anderson – Lars is a decent prospect, but he’s not rated at the kind of level where you have to clear way for him. This is not the kind of situation that Philly had a few years ago when they probably held on to Jim Thome for a year too long, keeping Ryan Howard down when he was clearly ready to step in.
Milton Bradley – Come on! Are you serious? Though his OPS last year was very impressive, Milton is an injury prone headcase. Essentially a poor man’s Manny Ramirez. No thanks.
Pat Burrell – Though I like the fact that he’s a right-handed power bat, which is what we need to protect Papi, Burrell is a career .257 hitter and has never completed a season with less than 120 strikeouts. Simply too many swings and misses to be an effective cleanup hitter.
Adam Dunn – Dunn has essentially the same drawbacks as Burrell. They’re both one-dimensional power hitters that have low contact rates and are defensive liabilities.
Why the Sox MUST target Mark Teixeira – Teixiera is in his prime and has it all! He’s a gold glove caliber 1B. He takes a ton of pitches, gets on base, and hits with power from both sides of the plate. He also has a history as a clutch performer having hit well last postseason and consistently takes his production to a higher level in the 2H every year. Teixeira is also the only guy amongst this group with the capability to become a leader in the clubhouse and carry the load in case Papi’s wrist causes more problems. He’s worth every penny that it will take to get him in my opinion.
Excellet post Evan.
I have been wondering the same thing for a while now. The alternatives you have mentioned are going to be signicantly cheaper, which means we still are gonna have some money to fix our positions of need (pitching and catching), and in that way they can be a bigger upgrade for the team than the addition of just one player. And the fact they could be acquired for less years makes them less risky in the long term, without completely cripplig our payroll. The fact they can play the outfield is good too, because don’t forgett the health of Drew is a permanent concern.
In any case, I think it’s healthy to think outside the “Teixeira box”. If the Sox are so adamant about signing a slugger at all costs, why don’t consider other options?
And by the way, if we are using the concerns about Papi’s decline as an argument for going after Tex, then Dunn is a much better replacement than Teixeira. He is gonna be much more cheaper, and we simply don’t need a gold glover for playing DH.
Wow! Evan and the commenters make a compelling case for signing Teix, which would be fine by me. But I would still be happy not doing so.
This may sound heretical amidst the Teixeira-feeding-frenzy but as it is, we really do have one of the best offensive teams in MLB, even hurt. The numbers show this clearly, and our near-Pennant in 2008 confirms it.
Keeping Mike, counting on some level of return to form by Papi/Mike/JD/Jed/Ells, adding Kelly Shoppach or TG’s bat, powering up the bench with the likes of Bailey, VanEvery & Hairston will make this top offense even better . . . without Teix or any of the alternatives listed by Evan.
Am I arguing to stay the course? Not really. The Pen is hugely improved over last year. Kelly or TG, with or without Tek, improves the 8-hole. Adding good hitting and versatility to the bench is easy. These are big improvements.
The biggest improvement will come with who is our 4th starter, and will he be an Ace: Sheets, Smoltz, Penny, Lowe??? It’s gotta be one of them; preferably short term to allow Buchholz, Bowden, etc. to get their shot.
The other thing that worries me is that those 3 were all beneficiaries of extreme hitters parks in Philadelphia, cincinatti, Arizona and Texas. Dunn is very strong, but I’ve always felt that his home run totals were a little suspect playing in that park, if I remember correctly Coco Crisp hit a couple of homers in the interleague series there this year. Teixeira played much of his career in Texas, but all of last season was played in two pitchers parks: Atlanta and Anaheim. That combines with the defense and the fact that he’s never been injured makes him a better bet. The other 3 have in the past been injury prone or proven malcontents, Teixeira will play every day and by all accounts is a model citizen.
“You sign Teixeira becuase he’ll be the cornerstone of the team for the next 5-10 years – not just 2009.”
This has been my mantra since the Teixeira sweepstakes began.
I mentioned Milton Bradley as a possible 4th OF option the other day, but signing him instead of Teixeria is just plain crazy talk.
If someone call tell me when we’ll see another 28 year old with Teix’s skills on the free agent market again… maybe I’ll agree to let him sign somewhere else.
Bottom Line: When a guy like this is available, you sign him… He’ll stabalize the lineup for 8 years and it’s not like the Sox are going to run out of cash any time soon.
excellent point bob on the hitter’s parks. everybody thought that teixeira’s #s would decline when he was shipped to atlanta, but in fact his #s went up. i think it’s clear teixeira hasn’t even hit his ceiling yet while the other alternatives out there have.
I just checked my calendar. I thought it had to be April First for anyone to suggest signing Milton Bradley. Crazy talk, indeed!
Sign Teixeira, simply so that no one else [and I think we all know who I mean] will.
ALl those options are good… FOR ME TO POOP ON!
Come on man get real!! It is not your money to spend, so who would you rather have?
Mark Teixeira or Milton Bradley
Mark Teixeira or Adam Dunn
Mark Teixeira or Pat Burrell
Mark Teixeira or PROSPECT Lars Anderson (Remember Billy Ashley?)
Come on now.
Some people have such a way with words…
Just something to think about. I think Teix is a great player and there is a reason he is commanding more than the others, but is the difference between the two players for the Sox that tremendous?
“This is the time to sell Mike Lowell high before his trade value takes a big hit.”
Um…no. You wouldn’t be selling high on Lowell due to his injury. Now if you prove he is healthy again, and playing well, his marketability would increase significantly. But the only way to do that is to start the season w/him as your starting third baseman, and you can’t do that if you sign Tex (or one of the others mentioned).
“Teixeira is also the only guy amongst this group with the capability to become a leader in the clubhouse.”
One thing that Tex is not is a leader. If anything, he’s known to be a bit aloof, similar to A-Rod.
I’m sorry Evan, but those options just aren’t anywhere near the level a Teixeria-type player is. All those options either have horrible clubhouse presence, swing at too many pitches or play in a position which really is log-jammed right now.
I didn’t think the Sox should have resigned Lowell when they did two years ago. Also Papi’s still younger, more likely to return his pre-’08 self and is also a 10-5 guy (he’s not going to get traded).
Look if Lars Anderson does what you think he’s capable of in AA and AAA the next 2-3 seasons, this team will find some way of working him into the lineup. They always find a way for their home-grown talent to make an impact on the field in some way. Besides, Tex represents the best possible free-agent on the market for the next 2-3 years. It’d be crazy just to let him go.
I think the biggest draw back to signing Teix is what it does to the bench. For the first time in years, the Sox will need to have a player on the bench that can play third on a semi-regular basis. Before, the Sox could have the Sean Caseys of the world come off the bench and shift Youks over. We can’t do that anymore.
Now, if the Sox keep Lowell this really isn’t an isuue but it seems like a foregone conclusion that that wont happen. If you look at the third base FA options you see basically dirt. Internally, the Sox have nothing. We couldn’t even really stick Lugo in there since his arm is beginning to be an issue.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out. Best guess is Bloomquist ends up here but we’ll have to wait and see.
With Teix, building a bench with Mike for 3rd & DH, bringing in Hairston for SS, 2b and OF, and Bailey to back 1b and OF. Got it covered.
However, after tonite’s about face . . . without Teix, we still need Hairston and Bailey plus Van Every or Baldelli. Why? Because Lugo will be traded, and good guy Alex Cora is a FA and Boras client and will sign elsewhere.
It is looking like we will not get Sir Tex.
You know what? I think that is good. Who wants to put every egg in the basket of a guy who has never proven in the clutch. If the $184 mil offer isn’t good enough then I will take my chances with Youk, Lowell and one of the above… Yes even Milton B! I think the Sox should go after Ben Sheets for one year – unless there is something medical that we don’t know about he is a MUCH better pitcher than Burnett hands down.
Henry made a bold move today… it is clear the Sox made a generous offer to Teixeira but he evidently is looking to squeeze every last dollar. So he can go to the Yankees and wallow in that mess or he can go to Baltimore or Washington and never win (like he always has until he went to the Angels).
Say what you will about Manny Ramirez – he was a proven CLUTCH player in Cleveland and Boston. Teixeira has not shown this yet. I wanted him bad because of the numbers but he stiffed us once before when we drafted him and if he doesnt have the stones to put himself in position to clutch-up and get it done than good riddance. I will take my chances with Lowell Youk, Pedroia and go get another Pitcher. You need BASEBAL PLAYERS to win not prima donnas looking only to break the bank – history has shown that. PLUS – pitching ALWAYS beats hitting. Let’s get Sheets and dont count out Schill making a second half presence.
Peace.
I am pleased that you chose to feature my photograph of Pat Burrell, but please per the terms of use provide a link back to the flickr page or photostream. Thank you.
Without Teix do we remain a top contender with the following roster?
Ellsbury, Pedroia, Papi, Youk, JDrew, Bay, Lowell, SHOPPACH, Lowrie
Bailey, BALDELLI, HAIRSTON, Kottaras or Brown (for Wake), others.
Beckett, SHEETS, Daisuke, Lester, Wake, Buchholz, Bowden, Zinc, others.
Papelbon, Monsterson, RRAMIREZ, Oki, MDC, Lopez, Aardsma, Hansack, LITTLETON, Gronk, Jones, Bard, others.
I think so.
I think so. In place of Rocco could be Kapler, Dunn, or anyone with a big bat.