Speaking as a car salesman, I wish the people on this blog would come to my lot with the same attitudes they have towards signing Tex. My word, I could make an absolute killing.

"Give him whatever it takes!"

"You have to pay for quality!"

"We've waited long enough!"

"We need to get him now or the world is over!"

"I've been an O's fan for 4,000 years, but I'll sell my season tickets, stop watching all O's games, and sacrifice a goat to the Steinbrenner family if they don't sign this player RIGHT NOW! (please ignore the fact that I said the exact same thing when Raffy, Moose, Robbie, and Eddie left town)."

Good heavens people. Enough is enough.

Look at the latest news. Turns out, "just giv[ing] him 200mil for 10 years" would have been waaay too much, and a total waste of money. Andy's playing it smart. He's going after the big fish, but doing it cautiously enough that he won't get burned doing it. And if he doesn't land him, he'll have all that salary room to give us some quality pitchers and maybe another hitter.

This whole situation is just ridiculous. It needs to come to a conclusion soon. At least, for the Orioles sake, it has paused just about all other free agent talks across the MLB. Not many other players are being signed while this thing carries out. Would the Orioles still be in this bidding war if their desired pitchers were being swept up at the same time? I don't think they could afford to. I am all for signing Tex but the Os need pitching when all is said and done. I think they should pay for those two Japanese pitchers and maybe another veteran who can eat up innings and just give the Os lineup a chance to stay in the game.

Hans,

You have raised my opinion of car salesmen nationwide. Excellent post! I'll take that green one over there!

I think the fact the the orioles have been mum other than to say they are flexible and in the running bodes well for us fans. I, like Hans, will be done with the O's if this deal gets done by another team at 180 Mil with the fans being left out in the cold. For all those fans who are saying spend the money on pitching, Who is out there worth the 5-10 mil a year its gonna take?? Tell me Pete! Sign Tex and keep the kids down on the farm in sight. With Tex and a stop gap starter or two the O's will be in the mix in a year or two. Weiters is going to be the real deal. Spend the money that you would spend on two overpaid starters on the scouting department and sign some more young pitching that can be ready in 1-3 years. It all starts with SIGNING TEXIERA!

You couldn't have said it any better Hans.

If they don't sign Teixeira they won't be using any money for anyone save Tim Redding. I'd love to be proved wrong, but I'm not holding my breath.

Hans,

I get what you are trying to say, but I think you are missing a couple things. First, ultimately the people on this blog are spending someone else's money, which tends to make you a bit less sensitive to getting a good deal. As long as the Orioles make enough money to remain solvent, that's all a fan really cares about. Second, you imply that people are bluffing about no longer supporting the Orioles. The Orioles attendance has declined significantly since all those players you mention left. It seems a lot of those people weren't bluffing after all. The problem now is that the only ones left are the ones who have been most loyal. The Orioles really can't afford to lose them.

Orioles fans have been waiting for Teixeira to be a free agent for two years. He is not a savior, but he certainly represents a lot more than just the production he brings on the field. If the Orioles do not sign Teixeira, they will lose more fans. That unfortunately puts them in a place where they need Teixeira more than he needs them. That points to having to overpay.

If this were ten years ago, the situation might be different, but the Orioles have to do something a bit more radical now to prove to those loyal fans that they actually do care about building a championship team. Right now, we are justifiably skeptical. I am not sure who the quality pitchers you refer to would be, but I would put a low probability on the chances of the Orioles offseason being deemed a success without Teixeira.

Pete,

I'm puzzled as to why it's the widely-reported Orioles' bid you cite as the one that is "close to accurate," and not some other team's.

We know for a fact that the Angels have offered Tex an eight-year deal, because it was made public last week by their general manager, Tony Reagins. He didn't say the amount, but was very open as to the length of the contract.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/angels/la-spw-angels13-2008dec13,0,7301064.story

So, at least we know something with Reagins. Contrast that to the widely-believed rumor concerning the O's offer. Why should we accept it as accurate, because your colleague, Dan Connolly writes: "MacPhail does not provide the specifics of any free-agent proposal"?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.orioles18dec18,0,337130.story

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Pete's reply: I guess I'm going on conversations I've had and my beat writers have had with high-ranking O's officials. I suppose it could be wrong, but it is based on actual information. It seems like the others are purely speculative and based on deduction, but the people reporting them could probably say the same thing.

The things that get my goat, as far the negotiations are concerned are:
1, The Nationals are making more overtures for Teixeira than are the Orioles
2. The Orioles don't seem to have a back-up plan. Had they signed Furcal and Bradley, they'd have effectively compensated for Tex, and without the loss of a first round draft pick
3. The free agent class of next year is thin.
4. By not being competetive now they could lose a whole generation of Orioles fan.

Does Baltimore have a major league
baseball team?

Wow, it's like the team just 40 miles down the road from Baltimore doesn't even exist in Schmuckland.

The fact is that the Nationals and the Angels have made substantially similar offers while the Orioles have lagged behind. If, as some reports say, Teixiera wants to go with a team likely to have a winning season then the O's and the Nats are in the same boat, both hapless when it comes to making it to post season play. While Tex is a Maryland native it's not like DC is all that far away. He could certainly live in Maryland and commute to the park as easily there as he could in Maryland.

The Nats have talent but need direction, confidence, a spark plug in the lineup, and decent pitching. Tex could give them the first three, plus he'd pay for himself. I've read that the Red Sox are still in the hunt, but then again they'd have to figure out what to do with Youklis if they bring Tex aboard. If Tex is serious about coming back to the East Coast, then both the Nats and the O's have a decent shot at getting him.

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Pete's reply: I've got news for you. If the Nationals offer is strikingly similar to the Angels (and I don't know how you could know that) they are already out of it, because the last Angels offer isn't that big.

The only thing that keeps going through my mind is how much easier it will be to extend B-Rob and N-Mark (that doesn't really work, does it?) with Tex in the stable.

That's the real reason the O's need to get this done!!!

Are you kidding? Angelos has a track record of not paying players market value. I bet the Orioles offer to Teixeira is the lowest on the table.

Let's face it... The Os will never be good until Angelos sells the team. Particularly since he will not pay for quality pitching.

You know what. I don't even want Tex anymore for this kind of money. If he dont want to give the O's a discount forget him. We dont need it.
s

Hans, free agency doesn't work like you say it does. If the O's don't get Teixeira, they won't have all that salary room to get some quality pitchers and maybe another hitter.

Remember what happened when the O's lost out on Paul Konerko? They didn't spend the money they'd offered him on other players. P.A. pocketed it.

Besides, what makes you think any other free agents would want to come to Baltimore? Teixeira and Burnett have local ties, so, if the Orioles were going to sign anyone, that's who they would have needed to sign. Nobody else wants to come here. "Confederate money", remember?

If Dunn, Sheets, and Randy Johnson were just waiting to sign on the dotted line if Teixeira went elsewhere, it wouldn't be as big a deal. But they ain't coming here. None of them. Zero.

The Yankees already got Burnett, of course, because their owner is willing to spend more than twice as much as P.A. is.

I'm not saying the O's should act like the Yankees, or make ridiculous offers to Teixeira; and I admire how MacPhail got the better of Boras in the Wieters negotiations (to say nothing of the Bedard deal). I thought the O's were too much like the Yankees in their '96 and '97 run, which was awful. (Bonilla, Alomar, Davis, Palmeiro, Zeile, Incaviglia, Key, Myers, and Erickson were really other team's stars.)

But we should be honest about the fact that, if Teixeira doesn't sign with the Orioles, the Orioles will not be competitive for at least another decade, at best. The young pitchers will be up next year, and the Orioles can't afford to let their hitting go just as their pitching arrives. Teixeira offers the rare opportunity to bring a hometown player home, and make the Orioles competitive once the young pitching arrives in 2010.

And don't forget that the best free agent hitters next offseason are Blalock, Ankiel, Bay, V. Guerrero, Huff, and Roberts. Chances are, the Orioles will lose more than they gain.

So yeah, I'd do 20 a year for 8 years, if that's what it would take.

Hans, this isn't just about negotiating for a car--as a fan, this is about deciding whether to bother rooting for a racecar driver who is standing at your lot, and trying to decide whether to race in your best new car, or in the same broken tricycle he's been losing in for the past eleven years.

I stopped going to OPACY years ago, and I'm not coming back until P.A. shows me that my ticket money isn't only going directly into his pocket. I'm no fool, and judging by the attendance in recent years, neither are most of you. P.A. needs to put a quality, competitive product on the field, or I'm staying gone. Buying tickets for this team is just encouraging him to put more losing teams on the field.

Totally off subject, but is anybody watching the Duke-Xavier game? The way the Blue Devils are dismantling a 7th-ranked Muskies team is pretty scary.

Peter Gammons wrote a 13 paragraph blog entry on espn.com today on the Teixeira saga. He never even mentioned the Orioles. We have to sign Tex, if only for that reason.

is spending $150M on tex really going to change the O's in the next few
years??? I think not...unless the O's
get some pitching...they could get
tex and babe ruth and still not be a
contending team. Spend the $$$'s on
pitching and building the organization.
we will become winners sooner than
wasting $150M on 1 player

Way to go Pete... Keep stoking those Teixeira fires. How about putting some NEW information in your blog instead of the same old speculation. If there isn't anything new, talk about the Ravens (can't believe I said that) or the 58 Colt anniversary or your next trip to KFC or Papa Johns or your neighbors cat ran away from home..... (probably heard Teixeira's name mentioned once to often) any freaking thing except Teixeira. Be honest Pete, aren't you a tad weary of this whole Teixeira circus...

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Pete's reply: I'll never get tired of it. I'm sorry I can't do a radio show and break the Teixeira story at the same time. I'll try to do better.

D Cabrera signed with the Nats. Aren't the Deadskins choking punishment enough?

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Pete's reply: Can't wait to see him facing the O's in spring training.

Spending $150-200 million on Tex for 7-10 years is a lot better investment that spending that same kind of dough on some joureymen pitchers and hitter that will be here for 2-3 years each. Tex is the kind of player you could build a team around for years to come, and we need his kind of stability and fan appeal.

Dave

I agree, I used to go to Orioles games every year several times a summer and I am from OC, so it isn't like it was a convenience. I used to write for Orioles Hangout back in the late 90's covering the Shorebirds. I have watched every prospect come up through the system and I can tell you that our scouts were horrible. The best players I saw going to Shorebirds games were players on the other teams. Josh Hamilton is the best player I ever saw in the minors or big leagues for that matter. The farm system was in dire need of an overhaul. Year after year draft picks were wasted on scrubs. Only until recently have the Orioles made progress in their drafting abilities, however the players are still being rushed to the major league level. The pitchers are falling apart. Our farming leads a lot to be desired.

Peter Angelos used to buy teams just like the Steinbrenners, but without the scouting and draft picks there will never be any chemistry on the big league roster. I have told people for years that Tampa Bay would make it sooner than us simply because they were developing quality players year in and year out. It takes more than money to build a championship team, let alone a dynasty. As much as I would love to say PA has destroyed this team, he has in effect seen that it was broken, that spending money on free agents wasn't getting it done. The money needs to be spent in scouting, the farm system, player development, and fundamentals. The problem that I have with Angelos is not that he spends next to nothing on free agents anymore, it's that he hasn't put that money into drafting and developing better players.

In conclusion, Tiexiera is certainly a cog in the wheel the Orioles need, and I honestly can say I will not go to a game this year at the big league level unless they do. Peter Angelos has hired the right guy in Andy. He just needs to listen to him when he speaks. MacPhail has a proven track record of having the ability to make something out of almost nothing, The question is, will Peter Angelos allow him have control? If so, then bring Tiexiera home.

The way I see it, you can discuss the speculation and attempt to separate fact from fiction or you can make stuff up like ESPN seems like they're doing out of desperation. I'm happy you're doing the former. In fact, by not trying to play this up, you've probably saved the Orioles some $$ if they actually do sign Tex. Anyone else remember the goofy rumor about A-Rod in 2001 and how he wanted to Mets to get him a personal jet? The media ate it up, but only one person was stupid enough to buy it and it was Tom Hicks, who signed A-Rod to a contract $70M higher than the next offer (later, it was admitted that they never asked for a plane). Pete, thanks for not letting Boras play you like a fiddle.

And while I'd LOVE to have Tex here, let's remember that while MacPhail is looking for the hometown discount, most fans seem to want to pay the hometown premium and Boras knows it. As a non-native Oriole fan, I admit it means a little less to me. That said, Baltimore is an awesome city and deserve a hometown hero like Cal was. That said, I'm just desperate for a legit cleanup hitter that can team with Markakis to be the face of the franchise. But don't let that make you go overboard. The question is: would you be so willing to pay $200M+/10 if he was from Enid, OK? It's not a flawless investment. He'll make more in a month than the entire starting staff makes in a year. And until September, it wasn't the hitting that was keeping the O's from winning.

Let's recognize the unique position we're in and know that Tex has the opportunity to help his childhood team back to glory. That's every kid's dream. If that's not worth $10M on a $160M contract (which he'll make back EASILY in endorsements, as opposed to Boston where he'll wait in line behind a dozen teammates, including the Killer P's--Pedroia, Papelbon, Papi), then that's really too bad. That said, let's not heap it on Peter A and Andy M. Given the amazing job they did with Wieters and Matusz (does anyone realize what a great job was done with the latter when compared to the rest of the 2008 first round, including Crow who didn't sign?), let's put a little trust in them--at least Andy.

Hey Bernie, if we could get Tex and Babe, that would be killing 3 birds with two stones. See, Babe was a pretty good pitcher! That would give us 2 good starting pitchers. :)

The money being sought is obscene. The Oriole franchise and fans offer Teixeira a one time opportunity to be the next Brooks or Cal. No other team can offer that. In NY or Bos when his career is over, he'll be just another name on a long list of hired guns. If money is all that drives him there are much better men out there, so let him go.

Hans & George Harman -

You both make very valid points.

Hans, you pointed out what I've been saying all along. We've got grown ups on this site pleading for little Markie the hometown hero to come home and save the day! And I like you also believe Andy MacPhail is a pretty smart guy. I think most of the posters on this web site are more in love with Tex than Andy is. I'm not saying Andy doesn't want the guy, but he always has & needs to continue acting in a fiscally responsible manner.

George Harman, I too have been saying that the true demise of this franchise is directly linked to the farm system. For years it was a dysfunctional system with no consistent message or method being presented to prospects. And yes the players we drafted in the past were questionable prospects at best. Does anyone remember the comments being made by other organizations and industry experts about the lack of fundamentals being taught in the farm system during the Syd Thrift era? I mean we had nothing in place to aid these kids in advancing properly.

The drafting of prospects really took off once we hired Joe Jordan. This guy is good! Just look at his body of work with the Marlins. And industry people also know the guy, and respect his ability to key on lesser known commodities. Now along comes Andy MacPhail, a guy who is more about building from within than chasing free agents. The first thing Andy did in his first off season with us was to address the farm system, and put people in place that would develop the talent that Jordan and his folks had secured. Andy placed a huge premium on hiring teachers and placing them at each level of the farm system. Now he is moving the team forward in the area of international scouting, where the O's have been weak players at best.

I really like and respect Andy MacPhail. I do believe he's moving the team in the right direction and has the autonomy to do so. He may float ideas past Angelos, but so far Peter has allowed Andy to pretty much do what he believes is necessary to make this team better. Remember how many of us didn't think Andy would be able to cut ties with Gibbons due to the money factor? Andy does move deliberately, perhaps a little too much. Everyone has their faults. This is evident in the Markakis negotiations. But I really do think that Andy believes Nick to be the face of the O's, and not someone like Tex. And when all is said and done, Nick will get signed to an extension both he and MacPhail will be satisfied with.