Angels Will Avoid Long Negotiations for Teixeira

DANA POINT, Calif. - At what point do the Angels tell Scott Boras to shove it?

OK, that's putting it indelicately, but the Angels' history is to strike quickly in the free-agent market — and Boras, when it comes to cutting deals, isn't exactly Mr. November.

So, as much as the Angels want to retain first baseman Mark Teixeira, they will not engage in protracted negotiations with Boras.

The Dodgers, while generally less decisive, could adopt a similar take-it-or-leave it approach with Boras' other big slugger, left fielder Manny Ramirez.

In the end, the strategy for both Los Angeles teams could be to avoid Boras and bid hard for left-hander CC Sabathia, perhaps the biggest free-agent prize of all.

"In any situation, you get to a point where you have to make a decision and move the business forward," Angels GM Tony Reagins said. "In any negotiation, there always comes that point where you have to say, you're in or you're out."

The Angels will be "in" on Teixeria until at least next Thursday, the last day for teams to negotiate exclusively with their own free agents. After that, the team might go in a completely different direction.

Signing Sabathia would be one option, retaining closer Francisco Rodriguez another. The Angels also could trade for Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins or left fielder Matt Holliday.

The team's history is instructive: In 2005, the Angels waited and waited for first baseman Paul Konerko, only to lose him to the White Sox on Nov. 30. The delayed response by Konerko compromised the Angels' offseason, and they haven't made the same mistake since.

Boras, though, plays at his own speed; virtually every one of his major signings in recent years has occurred at the winter meetings in December or later. Barry Zito signed with the Giants after Christmas in 2006. Carlos Beltran signed with the Mets in January 2005.

Teams routinely complain about Boras' tactics, but almost all agents discourage their clients from signing during the exclusivity period, when the players are only days away from the open market. Even after that, there is no rush. As days pass, demand often builds.

Boras contends that teams frequently take a wrongheaded view with franchise players such as Teixeira and Ramirez, talking not about how they add revenue, but how they subtract from available payroll.

Consider Boras' take on Ramirez:

"We've got an exact model," Boras said. "We've seen the player in the market produce 5, 6, 7 million dollars a month for the franchise. That's additional revenue to their team. Certainly that's a rare player. And his impact obviously can be measured as well by the millions more they made in the postseason."

Teixeira, 28, isn't the same type of attraction, but he's eight years younger, far better defensively and a more consistent personality. If the Angels pass on him, the Red Sox, Yankees and other clubs almost certainly will jump. The issue for the Angels is not the player; it's the pace of the negotiations.

As Dodgers GM Ned Colletti put it, "You can't let one player stand in the way of everything else you do." Boras, though, says he is perfectly willing for his clients to sign quickly — provided that teams bid appropriately.

"A lot of it depends upon how quickly you get the information the player wants to hear," Boras said. "Sometimes the player wants to meet personally with teams. Sometimes he's very happy with where he is. If clubs come forward and meet what the needs are, it can move forward and operate pretty fluidly and quickly."

It had better move quickly with Teixeira, or the Angels will be gone.

The Burnett sweepstakes

Here's a worst-case scenario for the Yankees: Sabathia signs with the Angels or Dodgers, and right-hander A.J. Burnett takes less money to stay with the Blue Jays.

Could happen.

The only surprise about Burnett's decision to become a free agent is that the Jays are still heavily in the mix to sign him.

Burnett is close with the Jays' training staff, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg and staff ace Roy Halladay. His mercurial personality would not necessarily be a good fit for New York or Boston, and he again would need time to adjust to a new environment and increased expectations.

"I think we have a shot," Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said.

The Orioles' problem

The Orioles are intent on making serious offers for Burnett as well as Teixeira. They possess geographic advantages with both players — Burnett lives in Monkton, Md., and Teixeira is from the Baltimore area — and they do not plan to irritate their restless fan base with token bids.

Still, it would be a major upset if the Orioles landed either player.

Owner Peter Angelos is a stickler on medical issues, and Burnett's injury history likely will discourage him from offering a long enough contract. Teixeira almost certainly will go beyond the Orioles' price range and perhaps land with one of their division rivals, the Yankees or Red Sox.

Andy MacPhail, the Orioles' president of baseball operations, is intent on acquiring veteran starting pitchers to protect the team's young arms, but the enormity of his challenge in the ultra-competitive AL East is almost overwhelming.

When the Orioles tried to sign right-hander Sergio Mitre, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, they were significantly outbid by the Yankees.

Dodger shuffle

The Dodgers remain a good bet to re-sign free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, who is a favorite of Colletti and manager Joe Torre.

The big question: Whether owner Frank McCourt will risk big money on Furcal after getting burned on several previous long-term contracts.

Furcal underwent back surgery last season before returning for the playoffs.

The more immediate decision for the Dodgers is whether to exercise their $8.75 million option on right-hander Brad Penny. The Dodgers could trade Penny if they kept him, a scenario that Colletti said is "something we've talked about."

Brave new middle infield?

The Braves not only could include shortstop Yunel Escobar in a deal for Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, but they also are drawing serious trade interest in second baseman Kelly Johnson.

About 10 clubs have inquired about Johnson; the Cardinals could move one of their outfielders for a second baseman, and the Diamondbacks want to acquire a left-handed hitting replacement for Orlando Hudson.

The Braves could turn to some combination of Omar Infante, Martin Prado and Derek Lillibridge at one of the infield positions, but they do not want to create vacancies at both.

Lugo could go ... maybe

Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo is owed $18 million over the next two seasons, and to trade him, the Sox likely would need to accept a bad contract in return. One thought: Lugo for either Tigers left-hander Nate Robertson (two years, $17 million) or Dontrelle Willis (two years, $22 million).

Much less likely: Lugo for Dodgers center fielder Andruw Jones, who is signed only through 2009 but owed $22.1 million through 2010. The Dodgers traded for Lugo in 2006 and almost certainly would not want him back.

Around the horn

Boras, asked about free-agent left-hander Oliver Perez, described him as a "27-year-old left-hander who is going to get a lot of attention from a lot of teams." The Mets probably would go to $12 million per season for Perez, but Boras almost certainly will want more for Perez than the Mariners gave right-hander Carlos Silva last offseason — a $12-million average for four years. ...

Signing free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson and trading Robinson Cano remains an option for the Yankees. Another possibility, though much less likely, would be for the Yankees to sign Hudson and move Cano to another position — maybe even first base if they failed to sign Teixeira. Cano also could play an outfield corner, but the Yankees currently do not have a need in left or right. ...

The Rangers figure to trade one and maybe two of their four catchers, with Gerald Laird the leading candidate to get moved. One catcher could go to the Marlins for left-hander Scott Olsen and another could go to the Red Sox for one of their young pitchers. The Rangers, however, are wary of Olsen's makeup and the fact that he gave up 30 home runs last season while pitching his home games at Dolphin Stadium, a far more pitching-friendly environment than Rangers Ballpark. ...

Players who won't go away: Center fielder Kenny Lofton wants to play in 2009 after sitting out all of last season, and the agents for Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez are marketing him as a potential closer.

Hernandez missed all of last season after undergoing surgery on his right foot. Left-hander Eric Milton, who did not pitch in the majors last season, and righty Jason Jennings, who made only six starts before undergoing elbow surgery, also plan to return in '09. ...

The Diamondbacks still have not reached an agreement with right-hander Brandon Webb on a contract extension, raising the possibility that they could lose him after 2010. The team figures that righties Max Scherzer and Jarrod Parker will be established by then, and righty Dan Haren is signed through 2013. Parker, who turns 20 later this month, is at least a year away from the majors, but he possesses a mean streak to go with his four-pitch repertoire and could develop into a top-of- the-rotation starter. ...

The Giants seemingly could vault into contention in the NL West by signing two or three hitters, and Furcal is among the position players drawing their interest. However, outfielders such as Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn might be defensive liabilities in the expansive outfield at AT&T Park, and the Giants remain intent on allowing their young players to develop. Therefore, they will be selective. ...

A scout's take on Clay Buchholz's performance Monday in the Arizona Fall League. "In the first inning, he hit the first batter, threw 88 to 91 with a real small breaking ball. In the second inning, he threw 93 with a plus-plus breaking ball and a plus changeup — a completely different guy. He settled in, looked good. When he throws his changeup, you can forget about it. It's a plus."

This article originally published on FOXSports.com.

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