Smoke, But no Fire
Many news sources have the Red Sox as the favorite for Mark Teixeira given his preference to be close to family on the East Coast. That said, his price tag has been rumored to be 8 years and a minimum $160mm with $180mm closer to reality, on other words, the same committment the Red Sox made to Manny Ramirez in 2000.
Teixeira said he wants a deal done before Christmas, so we've got that going for us, but I think he will sign with however he is going to sign with in the next 2-3 days.
With New York landing their 300 pounder the Red Sox, while they will never admit this, will feel pressure to upgrade as well. Adding Teixeira will add youth and quality to the middle of the order, both good things, but at great cost.
As for pitching, there has been talk of AJ Burnett, but I think that is crazy. If they sign him, it'll be similar to the Matt Clement signing, unnecessary and a bad idea. Burnett is a train wreck waiting to happen. If New York does land him (or Boston or whoever), he won't pull a Carl Pavano, but he won't give them more than 550 IP over 4 years. In other words, Bad Idea Jeans.
Lastly the news on just what Boston will do for the catching situation has been few and far between. I think Teixeira needs to sign before we start hearing more on a catcher solution.
The Yankees made a big splash last night/today and this site has had plenty of news on it. I'm feeling left out and want some positive Red Sox news to strike.
Comments
That's an interesting comparison with Burnett and Clement, but I don't think Clement ever reached Burnett's level. That being said, I agree that whatever team gets him is rolling the dice big time.
Posted by: Peter![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 10, 2008 08:27 PM
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You are probably right, it isn't fair to Burnett to compare him to Clement, but he has all the warning signs of injury. 2 of his best seasons came in contract years after all.
5 years, if you believe the rumors, is just too much for him.
Posted by: Andy | December 10, 2008 10:14 PM |
Peter, I'm not the only one.
http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2008/12/tonys_top_5_worst_pitching_con.html
Check out his Burnett/Clement comparison...not a good one.
Posted by: Andy | December 15, 2008 09:49 PM |
It would mean something if he included some numbers. One sentence really doesn't sell me. I am not saying there isn't a big risk here, but I think Burnett is a much better pitcher than Clement ever was.
Posted by: Peter![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 17, 2008 12:51 PM
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