I understand about rebuilding and how this team is desperate for pitching, but isn't signing the hometown star an easy and very effective way to market that rebuilding plan and sell tickets? Teixeira seemed a perfect fit for the Orioles and to basically let him go to one of your top rivals seems like a terrible business decision to me.

Enough is enough...we are bigger than one player!
Sometime over the next 5 years of his 8 years with the Sox, Tex will be sitting in the visitors dugout at Camden yards. He will be watching the team he grew up cheering for celebrating a playoff series clinching win over he and his Red Sox! Who will he be cheering for then? Use that 180 M to resign B-Rob and extend Nick. Go sign Sheets, Byrd, or Lowe, somebody who can get people out! Matt Wieters is going to be a monster and we'll soon forget 'ole Tex once he's patrolling the Yard!
O-R-I-O-L-E-S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sure that Tex only played the hometown card to get the O's into the bidding, I don't believe he'd come here no matter what the O's offered, including 10 years $240 mil and you can sleep with my daughter three times a week. Let's face it, the O's and Nats were both merely invited to participate to drive the price up, nothing more. Have fun in Boston, Tex, hope ya get ptomaine from some bad chowdah!

This is a heartbreaking situation. Having nearly played against Tex in high school (missed him by one year, but batted against Gavin Floyd many times) I would truly love to see him come home.

However, 8-years and $184, is an incredibly risky offer from the Sox. Is he worth it? I don't know. I have my doubts. Did anyone notice his awful start to the '08 season? Aubrey Huff kept pace with him for almost the entire year. Plus he could get hurt, or start slumping 2 or 3 years in (he'll be old - in baseball years - by the end this contract let's remember.

I don't know. I'm conflicted. But I'm not sure we should try to chase him down with $24 mil per year.

Do you believe in miracles? YES..........tis the Season..................I BELIEVE!

I wont shoot myself if he does go to Boston however I would like to see the money that was offered to Tex used to sign Markakis to a long term contract and at least keep him here forever....

Peter,
Do you BELIEVE the Orioles can still make this deal happen without being a contender ?

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Pete's reply: Do I believe they can do it? Yes. Do I believe they will do it. No.

dave taylor - you don't know what you're talking about. but it's awesome that you rely on ignorant speculation to rip on a great baseball player who is considering playing for the orioles. very impressive.

If the O's don't sign Tex then as far as I'm concerned professional baseball is dead in Baltimore. I have been a die-hard fan, bleeding Orange and Black since 1966, so I don't want to hear anything about the "fair weather fan" crap. The signal that will be sent to current O's players and prospective players is that the O's have no intention of doing what it takes to win. I'm sure B Rob is hoping for a trade, and Nick is counting the days until free agency. The fact that Macphail said he hadn't heard about the meeting between the Sux and Boras tells me the O's aren't doing anything to try and sign Tex. A real front office would be proactive, not reactive, and do whatever it takes to get the player they want, like the Spankees did with C.C. and A.J. But not the O's, they just sign a has-been or never-will-be to fill the holes. There is no way that the O's will ever field a good team without signing impact free agents, period. The Rays have been extremely lucky that their draft picks have panned out (which took approximately 10 years of the #1 draft pick, which means the worst record in baseball for 10 years in a row),and have fielded a very good team. But their success is temporary unless they pay their players. No other team has done nor will they do that, not in the AL East. Boston was a crappy team until they signed Big Poppy, Manny, Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka, etc. While the O's sign Trachsel, Walker, and a bunch of other AAA cast-offs. Angelos, sell the team to someone that takes pride in their team. O's fans around the world are suffering needlessly because of you!

Again, there is a lot of false sophistication invested in parsing a decision to choose $190 million over $140 million. Would any of those who think that a "hometown discount" is worth $50 million turn down an offer to move to Boston for $50 million? I doubt it.

If Teixeira signs with Boston rather than the O's, the reason will be simple: They offered more money in an auction than Angelos did. What is so difficult to understand about that?

All the temporizing rationalizations in the world can't answer the fact Angelos seems unwilling to pay up for first caliber talent.

Perhaps Teixeira will be kind enough to save the millions he will get from Boston and use the money to buy the little that will be left of the Orioles when Angelos is finished with them?

There is always room for hope.

Well Pete, if you're not sure that enough would have been enough let me help you. It's really simple ! You just offer Tex 1 more yr & another 1.5 mill per yr, ( matching the Sox offer ) & then you let Tex decide. Now that wasn't very hard, was it ? Why bid 150 mill, knowing what this means for the O's on so many levels & not offer 1 more yr ? And if they in fact did & Tex said no then tell us that as well !

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Pete's reply: And if turned it down, then enough wouldn't be enough, just like I said.

It would still be the fault of the O's management that the team sucks so bad that a hometown boy wouldn't want to sign with the club...

Well i know if he signs with the red sox, i will lose all respect for the man. I can bet that as a 17 year old cheering for the O's, i'm sure he wasn't too fond of the red sox, and i know as a 17 year old i am definitely not either. As a kid, you dream of playing for the team you root for. His shot his here and i think 150 million dollars still sounds pretty good to me.

What the O's need is a true team leader. Teixiera is not by any means of the imagination in the same league as a Cal Ripken or an Eddie Murray. He is nothing more than a greedy puppet controlled by Boras. When the redsox come into town, O's fans should totally boo this clown. Let just hope the boos are louder than the redsox fan's cheers.

I just want to say for the record...as many people already have...that if the Orioles don't get Teixieira I am DONE with them, period! What a joke this organization is.

I just want to say for the record...as many people already have...that if the Orioles don't get Teixieira I am DONE with them, period! What a joke this organization is.

" Do you believe in miracles? "
I'll save my miracle for the Ravens .
If he really had an interest to play for his hometown , he'd be here now . I'm sure the O's upped their offer somewhat . He's just like the rest of them , take the money and run . For just this once (and I'll probably be struck by lightning ) I think Angelo's offer was fair in not wanting to give up the farm on one player . ......I still wish he was an "O" though .

Also like one of the guys down here said, when we become the powerhouse of the division, and all the stud pitchers are in the rotation by 2011, he will say to himself, what did i do? He can wait one or at maximum two years to compete.( He did it with the Rangers and Braves why not do it for the O's?) So, if he thinks joining red sox nation is a good thing, he needs to look into that crystal ball of his and tell Boras that i want to play for the O's

Tim In CA is right. When Teixeira's contract is up, his prime may be over.
Only Cal Ripken Jr is worth 24 Mil per year. If Angelos wants to really to sell out every home date, then take Cal out of retirement and offer him something he can't refuse.
"ONE MORE YEAR!"

Pete, Isn't the line, "Do you believe in miracles," the words of the Olympic commentator when the United States ice hockey team won the gold medal or beat the russians in 1984?

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Pete's reply: It was against the Russians in the semifinal game of the 1980 Olympics. The gold medal came later.

Damn shame. Signing Tex would have meant my yearly trips to Camden would have increased from the perfunctory 1 or 2 to at least 6. I have no idea if it would do the same for other fans, but I would have done my part to re-fill Angelos' coffers. But if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be. Now let's go about the business of re-signing Markakis; fishing or cutting bait with Roberts by Feb. 1, and snagging at least two starters. The onus should be on building the team internally to the point that, by 2010, when they shock everyone and compete for the Wild Card until the last week of the season, free agents will actually want to come here and put this thing over the top.

Now with that said, I return to watching the Jags choke away a 10 point fourth quarter lead over the Colts, thereby guaranteeing Indy a Wild Card spot and making the Ravens' situation even more precarious...

Not so fast!
boston.com/sports
Red Sox owner just e-mailed several media members with a stunning twist in the team's pursuit of Mark Teixeira. "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor." (11 p.m.)

signing big Tex would make it a lot easier to show other players we were serious in building a winner, including Nick and Brian. They will be the next to go elswhere, and we will still be in the 1o year+ rebuild. you can't build if all you will sign is mid level players year after year. all is futile.

I do believe in miracles. According to mlbtraderumors.com, Red Sox owner John Henry emailed members of the media tonight stating that the Red Sox were out of the bidding for Tex. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Even if he doesn't come to Baltimore, at least he is not going to the fn Red Sox.

Red Sox are not longer a factor according to bostonglobe.com!

Once Teixeira is a Red Sox, here's hoping his hip starts to degenerate, or some such ailment, come 2010 or so. May as well hope for something like that. Perhaps the Orioles can catch the other teams if they too get the plague. Problem is, the O's disease is self inflicted.

As I write this, Boston area TV is reporting the Red Sox say they are not in the running. Lot's of bluffing going on.

The Red Sox have been outbid for Mark Teixeira and ``are not going to be a factor'' in acquiring him, owner John Henry said in an e-mail on Thursday night. Angels...Yankees? Doubt the O's outbid the Red Sox.

I'm not giving up on the Orioles-Tex or no Tex. No one player has that much power when this is a TEAM sport. Build this team with Markakis, Jones, Weiters, Roberts, Guthrie and a host of young pitching talent coming in the next couple years. Sign Markakis and Roberts long term (if you can). Over pay a bit. These guys are going to fun to watch....and I'm not going worry about the guys in Boston and New York.

pete did you hear????? redsox seemed to drop out of tex bidding

Red Sox owner John Henry said:

"We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

i read this on mlbrumors.com what is going on do you think orioles made a larger offer?

Tex will be a nobody in 3 years better off without him. The Red Sox are getting hosed.

Hmmm...lets see...a switch-hitting, gold glove first baseman (see eddie murray) who makes his home in a Baltimore suburb (see Cal Ripken)

Texiera is an Angel or and Oriole. Absolutely no way he returns to baltimore in a red sux uniform to get LUSTILY BOOED 9 times a year for 8 years.

You see, this organization went well out of its way to sign Albert Belle to keep the yankees and red sox from getting him. I don't see how Angelos can take any more abuse by doing anything more stupid by letting a SWITCH HITTING GOLD GLOVE first baseman not play in his hometown

John Henry (red sox owner) says Red Sox are "not a factor" anymore in Teixeira negotiations after today's meeting. A miracle indeed!

http://wbztv.com/sports/redsox/mark.teixeira.boston.2.890739.html

The Red Sox met with Teixeira Thursday evening. In an e-mail to Dan Roche, Henry said, "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

Where is the Sun with this info???

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Pete's reply: I guess John Henry doesn't email the papers in the other cities.

Sportscenter just had breaking news at 11:22 pm stating that John Henry stated that the Red Sox have been outbid on Texiera and they will not be a factor in signing him.

Breaking news as of 11:05, per boston.com and ESPN: Tex is NOT going to the red sox, who have apparently been outbid....

Did anyone just see SportCenter? Red Sox owner says they are "Not a factor"???? Angelos better be doing something.

Now that the gag-job in Jacksonville is in the books... (FYI, hope coaching a team was fun, Del Rio, because you're out. If Rex Ryan gets a job, maybe Harbaugh will give you a look at D-Co-ordinator)

To the fans who say they're "done" with the team if Tex is a Red Sock: I'm not questioning your fanhood; there really can't be any fair-weather Oriole fans left, can there? But if your belief in this franchise was predicated on signing a player whose ties to the team were almost entirely based on playing at St. Joe and living in Severna Park; a player who was the #1 most attractive free agent bat in years (at least since Carlos Beltran, and maybe since A-Rod); a player whose agent thinks nothing of asking for $11 million for a player who hasn't taken step one onto a pro ball field; and a player who, like 99% of the MLB players today, wants to get paid and to win... well, it's my guess that you weren't too thrilled with the direction of the team to begin with.

I'm not blaming anyone who wants to jump off the wagon. As fans, we have all had those moments. Wieters and Mora were two of those for me. And while I would have loved to have Tex, I'm not brokenhearted over this. As the O's have seen with high priced free agents, past performance is no indicator of future output. Remember the first year and a half of Tejada's time here? Look how that turned out.

We may even find out in the days to come that Tex had no strong interest in playing here. Not like Boston is so far away from Baltimore that he can't easily make an offseason home in Severna Park. All I'm saying is, I don't necessarily think this is the end for this team. (Of course, I also talked myself into Albert Belle, so what the heck do I know?)

I just saw the Red Sox say they have been outbid for Teixiera, I think this may now mean that either the Angels or Nationals are the spoiler...but isnt it nice to dream...it could be Angelos...

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8963188/Report:-BoSox-drop-pursuit-of-Teixeira

FoxSports too...guess ESPN hasn't updated their site because of the egg all over their face!!!

An article on yahoo sports says that the Sox offer is not 180 mil. Count me down for the miracle.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AgeP6oOrSyZAgIaSgDEqGkc5nYcB?slug=ge-teixeiraredsoxmeet121808&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Pete, ESPN is reporting the Red Sox have been outbid and are no longer a player for Tex. Any info on who is the frontruner now?

Boston "not going to be a factor."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/12/18/redsox.teixeira.ap/index.html

So is it the Nationals, the Angels, or us?

Well, i think i'm prety much done with major league baseball all together. I went to my first O's game in '69. Attended WS games in '71 and '79. Been a die-hard fan during the lean years. Tex with a red B on his hat I just can not take. The Yanks buying up all the pitching makes me sick to my stomach. I live in Collage park and work in DC with all those Boston hats walking around - half of them never even been to Boston or could find it on a map. I can't take it anymore. I'm selling all my gear, cards, hats and Cal Ripkin stuff on eBay. I'm done. I'll never watch another game...good bye.

I don't know what will happen, but (as of this moment) it does not look like the Red Sox will get him. Here's what Sox owner John Henry said tonight: "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

I'd love to see Mark T. play here, but keep in mind that he is almost 29. That's not old, but the guy has already played six years and is now looking for a seriously long-term deal. The guy is great, but it's easy to understand why the O's and other teams are being cautious (especially in this economy). After all, Glenn Davis had only recently turned 30 when he showed up here.

McPhail should resign tomorrow. It's not that he has done or is doing a bad job. It's for his own sake. Orioles fans will no longer even give him a chance. He should leave and go somewhere where he actually has a shot at building a winner. He will always be blamed for letting Teixeira get away. It's probably not his fault, he probably never had much of a chance. But, Orioles fans have been counting the minutes to Teixeira's free agency for at least two years. He is only one player, but he represents much more than just what he would provide on the field.

Orioles fans, for the most part, were willing to go along with McPhail's very sensible, logical go slow, build from within, build with pitching approach. However, that came with one caveat: that it also include Mark Teixeira. Now, all they are going to see is another offseason of falling behind the Yankees and Red Sox, and failing to even gain ground on the Blue Jays and Rays.

The Orioles are going to lose a lot of fans over this. The problem is, the fans they are going to lose this time are the extremely loyal ones that have stuck with the team through a lot of losing. It is going to be hard to win them back.

I hate not being near a TV. ESPN's website still has the Tex to Sox headline at the top of their news box. And now I hear all this other stuff. I wonder how many times beat writers have had to rewrite their articles tonight...

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Pete's reply: At least two or three times each.

Well Mr. Schmuck,
I am beginning to believe that the Orioles may be the blueprint for Nations downturn in all phases, granted, it only took 8 years to get where the Orioles have been working on for twenty years. The Orioles have shown how not to complete any phase needed to move forward. Talk about Stagnant!!
We can't get a decent pitcher before we release one that may help, granted D-Cab needs to change something. We may lose a great second baseman without having a decent replacement in place. Last year's trade of Miggy sound familiar?
The biggest boondoggle of all is the 20 year hunt for a spring training site. Talk about negative consistency, WOW. For the first time in 54 years, I am seriously thinking about rooting for anything other than the Orioles. I have been a fan since I was 7 years old, even rooted more for the Orioles than when the REAL Colts were in town.
It is so sad to think that there are not any GOOD players that want to come to Ballymore to play. What do you think that Nick M. will do at the first chance??

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Pete's reply: I think he'll sign a long-term extension in late January.

The media has swallowed Boras's krap Hook, Line and Sinker. Hope they enjoy their Christmas vacations because soon after they'll have to start reporting the really important stuff, like who's going to be the 4 starting pitchers to be named later, etc.

Maybe if they sign him, you can exclaim......

"This impossible dream......has come true!!!"

Just to stick with the 1980 hockey team theme ;)

If the O's sign Tex, I buy a ticket plan. If they do not, I'll watch on MASN until the pitchers implode and then just surf to a reality station. I've been with them since 1953 but my patience has worn very thin. They have the money - use it. With Tex in the line up perhaps some of those unsigned pitchers will tell their agents to call the O's. Do something and do it now.