Teixeira article

[Double G]

"Not for nothing, but if the Yankees don't need Teixeira, then can you explain to me why the Redsox do?"

I never understood the mancrush the Red Sox had for this guy; we've already got a gold glove MVP type player at first and the 2007 WS MVP over at third, injury aside, so I don't know why the Red Sox felt such a need to ballwash the guy.

 

[Real World]

"Not for nothing, but if the Yankees don't need Teixeira, then can you explain to me why the Redsox do?"

I never understood the mancrush the Red Sox had for this guy; we've already got a gold glove MVP type player at first and the 2007 WS MVP over at third, injury aside, so I don't know why the Red Sox felt such a need to ballwash the guy.

Probably cuz a player of his caliber is not going to be available for the next few years. He's 28 years old which means he's still improving, plays excellent defense, switch hits, high OBP, a .919 career OPS, and a 134 career OPS+ (again all at 28 years old with GG defense). Production like his is going to be difficult to both find, and develop. With the new testing policy, and banned substances, power numbers are going to be more realistic moving forward. While the league won't be moving back to signing Rob Deer types, the 60 & 70 homer days of Slammin Sammy Sosa are long gone.

 

[Real American Hero]

I can't speak for Double G, but the point I was making and I assume he was isnt that Tex is worthless, its just that he's an expensive option for a position we've got relatively covered with Youk and Anderson coming down the pike. But beyond that, he was kind of held up as our answer to the Yankees big signings and so when we then go and lose him to the Yanks its even more of a downer to the casual fans wanting the Sox to make a splash to keep up. Meanwhile, even if we did land him we'd still have the same questionable spots in the lineup, catcher on a daily basis and SS and CF for about half the season.

As you say yourself the home run chase days are over, but our offense is pretty solid if we can get rid of the 1 or 2 automatic outs that plagued the bottom half of our lineup last season. Even then we still had one of the most productive offenses in baseball.

 

[Wildo7]

Teixera is a great player but he's not that all time great talent type, and the number one reason for the Sox to have acquired him was to keep him off the Yankees. For the money, Youk is a better option at first, and if he's healthy Lowell is only a slight step down. This team would have gone to the WS is Lowell had been healthy IMO. To be honest, I lik the money the Sox are saving right now, and there aren't all that many areas they need to improve in except the bottom of the rotation and catcher. If they really want to step up the offense, they can look to replace Bay or Drew with Holliday in 2010 or possibly look to replace Ortiz if he continues to struggle next year.

If Ortiz, Lowell and Becket bounce back and the Sox solidify the rotation and possibly pick up some catching help they will still be a force to be reckoned with. Those are big ifs obviously, but spending $180m on Teixera would have been counterproductive to solving them.

 

[ausbacker]

Teixera is a great player but he's not that all time great talent type, and the number one reason for the Sox to have acquired him was to keep him off the Yankees. For the money, Youk is a better option at first, and if he's healthy Lowell is only a slight step down. This team would have gone to the WS is Lowell had been healthy IMO. To be honest, I lik the money the Sox are saving right now, and there aren't all that many areas they need to improve in except the bottom of the rotation and catcher. If they really want to step up the offense, they can look to replace Bay or Drew with Holliday in 2010 or possibly look to replace Ortiz if he continues to struggle next year.

If Ortiz, Lowell and Becket bounce back and the Sox solidify the rotation and possibly pick up some catching help they will still be a force to be reckoned with. Those are big ifs obviously, but spending $180m on Teixera would have been counterproductive to solving them.

My sentiments exactly. Health was the major concern for the Sox this past season, something I expect to be remedied in the coming season.

We've got the talent, it's just ensuring they are all on the field when it matters most.

 

[Real World]

Teixera is a great player but he's not that all time great talent type, and the number one reason for the Sox to have acquired him was to keep him off the Yankees. For the money, Youk is a better option at first, and if he's healthy Lowell is only a slight step down. This team would have gone to the WS is Lowell had been healthy IMO. To be honest, I lik the money the Sox are saving right now, and there aren't all that many areas they need to improve in except the bottom of the rotation and catcher. If they really want to step up the offense, they can look to replace Bay or Drew with Holliday in 2010 or possibly look to replace Ortiz if he continues to struggle next year.

If Ortiz, Lowell and Becket bounce back and the Sox solidify the rotation and possibly pick up some catching help they will still be a force to be reckoned with. Those are big ifs obviously, but spending $180m on Teixera would have been counterproductive to solving them.

I agree mostly, with exception to the part about Lowell being only a slight step down from Tex. Lowell is a career .279/.343/.467 110 OPS+, .810 OPS player. Teixeira is .290/.378/.541 134 OPS+, .919 OPS for his career. Plus, Tex is still getting better, while Lowell is on the decline. Youkilis being a slight step down is arguable, but not Lowell. Outside of that little snippet, it's a good post overall.

 

[Wildo7]

I agree mostly, with exception to the part about Lowell being only a slight step down from Tex. Lowell is a career .279/.343/.467 110 OPS+, .810 OPS player. Teixeira is .290/.378/.541 134 OPS+, .919 OPS for his career. Plus, Tex is still getting better, while Lowell is on the decline. Youkilis being a slight step down is arguable, but not Lowell. Outside of that little snippet, it's a good post overall.

This is true and I should have qualified. Having a healthy Lowell in a protected lineup like the Sox (as opposed to Marlins) is above his career numbers IMO. Of course Teixera is a better player since he's got the gold glove defense at 1st, is younger, healthier and a better bat. But 2007 Lowell's upside isn't that far off Teixera IMO. The Baseball fan in me probably thinks Youk had a career year last year too, though the Sox fan in me hopes that isn't the case.

Nevertheless I still think a healthy 2007ish (a big if, I know) Lowell and Youk is better considering the contracts than having Lowell as a 5th infielder/part time DHer. In short, if Lowell comes back healthy and anywhere close to 2007, Teixera would have been a huge waste of money for the Sox in 2009, considering the opportunity cost that that relatively small benefit would cost the Sox. I'd rather have an extra $180m to spend on other things than have the best infield in baseball in all honesty.

 

[Real World]

This is true and I should have qualified. Having a healthy Lowell in a protected lineup like the Sox (as opposed to Marlins) is above his career numbers IMO. Of course Teixera is a better player since he's got the gold glove defense at 1st, is younger, healthier and a better bat. But 2007 Lowell's upside isn't that far off Teixera IMO. The Baseball fan in me probably thinks Youk had a career year last year too, though the Sox fan in me hopes that isn't the case.

Nevertheless I still think a healthy 2007ish (a big if, I know) Lowell and Youk is better considering the contracts than having Lowell as a 5th infielder/part time DHer. In short, if Lowell comes back healthy and anywhere close to 2007, Teixera would have been a huge waste of money for the Sox in 2009, considering the opportunity cost that that relatively small benefit would cost the Sox. I'd rather have an extra $180m to spend on other things than have the best infield in baseball in all honesty.

I'd agree. A healthy 7 productive Lowell/Youk combo, when combining the contracts, is a better bargain immediately. Of course, this deal has long term ramifications to it. What the Sox do to replace Lowell will probably determine whether or not they needed Tex. Still, $180 million is a ton of coin, for a position the Sox are solid in moving forward.

 

[BelichickFan]

Plus, Tex is still getting better

I love Teixera but he's not getting better, he's just incredible stable. 3 of the last 4 years he's had an OPS between .946 and .961. His relatively poor 2006 with a mere .885 OPS makes it look like he's getting better but that was really just an outlier bad year, not part of the trend line.

 

[Real World]

I love Teixera but he's not getting better, he's just incredible stable. 3 of the last 4 years he's had an OPS between .946 and .961. His relatively poor 2006 with a mere .885 OPS makes it look like he's getting better but that was really just an outlier bad year, not part of the trend line.

I don't disagree. I'm just considering that he's still only 28 years old, and set career highs in OBP, BA, walks, and OPS+, while having a career low in K's. I don't disagree with you though.