Who Are Possible Spoilers for the New York Yankees? Some Mark Teixeira Rumors

(Zell's Pinstripe Blog)

Who knows if anything is true these days. It’s hard to say what is made up and what is a fact. Well...this is what is being reported today:

Who are possible spoilers for the Yankees?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers some potential spoilers for the Yankees and Mets in regards to CC Sabathia and closers Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes.

Sherman suggests that Sabathia could wind up in an Angels uniform if Mark Teixeira isn’t re-signed. Owner Arte Moreno won’t wait around for Scott Boras’s games, and has stated that he’ll make an offer with a time limit. If Teixeira can’t be had, the Angels will likely shift their focus to Sabathia.

Teixeira Rumors

To recap: Teixeira told Erin Andrews on Thursday that he wants to have it finished before Christmas, according to Mike Scarr of mlb.com. It’s reasonable to anticipate the winter meetings, Dec. 8-11, to be a suitable high-profile venue for Boras to break the news.

The Angels are preparing an offer for Mark Teixeira, perhaps with a deadline. If he doesn’t accept it, they may make a move for Jake Peavy. The Yankees are “set to be aggressive” if they only land one of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, or Derek Lowe.

The Red Sox are apparently “lusting” for him, but are otherwise hush-hush, a sign that they might offer Teixeira the biggest contract in club history, predicts Tony Masarotti of the Boston Herald.

Teixeira seems to be leaning towards East Coast teams, says Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register. Says Youngman,

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“I don’t think it will be with the Angels. If he were going to re-sign in Anaheim, I think it already would have happened. Just a gut feeling. Even the people I talk to in the organization don’t seem optimistic. Teixeira would be ridiculed if he signed with perpetual losers such as the Baltimore Orioles or Washington Nationals, so my guess is he’ll sign with the Boston Red Sox.”

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The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo thinks Teixeira will wind up with the Angels because, while the Angels might struggle to afford him, they simply can’t afford to lose him.

from rotoworld

Some GMs, including the Yankees’ Brian Cashman, believe Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa should be considered off-limits by Major League Baseball clubs. According to a piece in the New York Times, many Japanese baseball officials are outraged that MLB teams are targeting the 22-year-old.

According to a protocol agreement signed in 1998, professional Japanese baseball players are required to play nine seasons in their home country before they can be courted by overseas teams.

Tazawa, who is still just an amateur, has created a loophole for MLB clubs. “This was more than just a gentleman’s agreement, but rather an implicit understanding that the major leagues would do no such thing,” said a press release from Nippon Professional Baseball.

“That a handful of clubs from the majors is trying to break this gentlemen’s agreement is truly regrettable.” The Red Sox, Braves, and Mariners are among the teams that have shown interest.

The Red Sox met with free agent Junichi Tazawa and reportedly offered him a deal worth about $6 million. That’s likely similar to what Atlanta offered him earlier this month. The Mariners, Phillies, Indians and Tigers are also believed to be interested in the 22-year-old Tazawa.

and this is interesting news:

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Don’t look for Yu Darvish to be pitching in America any time soon. Patrick at NPB Tracker speculates that Darvish might actually be thankful for Junichi Tazawa taking some of the MLB spotlight and speculation off of him.

Darvish told a crowd of over 43,000 fans that he “isn’t dreaming of Major League Baseball,” and wants to win 200 games in his Japanese career. He’s got a ways to go, but he’s about 25 percent of the way there with 48 career NPB wins.

Darvish, 22, has posted a 31-9 record with a 1.85 ERA and 418 Ks through 408.1 IP in the past two seasons. He also said he would accept an invitation to play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

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