Screamin' Teixeiras! New York Yankees Drop $180m For Free Agent

If the Yankees had any more money, then they'd probably be getting calls from beleagured banks wanting a bailout.

CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett helped to bolster the pitching staff, and the latest deal—Mark Teixeira for eight years and $180m—has made one of baseball's best offenses even better.

The question is: good deal or bad deal?

GOOD DEAL

• The Yankees become vastly improved at first base. Teixeira's an undeniably better fielder (he's got a fielding percentage of 0.995) than Jason Giambi (0.621)—and he's got a better bat, too.
  
• His numbers last year were fantastic: .308 Avg, 33 HR, 121 RBI. His on-base and slugging percentages were both much better than Teixeira's lifetime average.
  
• He's also got a history of hitting well at Yankee Stadium (remember, the new place still has the same dimensions as the old one)—he's batted .305 lifetime with 32 hits and five HRs in 26 games in the old House That Ruth Built.
  
• The Yanks wanted to get younger, and Teixeira helps them do just that.

BAD DEAL

• $180m is a lot to pay for any player—especially one that you know will get injured during his eight years in pinstripes. His clean injury history streak will come to an end sometime. The ghost of Carl Pavano has to strike again—even if CP is O-U-T.
  
• $180m is a lot to pay for any player—especially during these financial times. The Yankees are probably making a monster bet the house that the Steinbrenners built will be packed to the rafters day in, day out. The last time I looked, the stock market wasn't doing so well. Nor was New York's job situation.
  
  Do you think that people will be able to afford to go quite as much as they did? Corporates won't buy multi-thousand dollar corporate seats—especially those in finance. This may have been a good idea with huge employment and everyone getting rich, but now that everyone's feeling their pockets?
  
• $180m is good money for a player that has always played well in front of generous fans. Texas, Atlanta and Anaheim aren't terrible places for a player to flourish. But $180m can turn into terrible money if your player can't cope in the pressure cooker that is Yankee Stadium. If you don't hit for two games in a row at Yankee Stadium, they give you hell. Don't say you haven't been warned.

AND ONE LAST THING...

As a Yankee fan, I should be overjoyed by the signing of one of the best free agents in the market. Teixeira's numbers were fantastic in 2008. But aren't the numbers ALWAYS fantastic for a player in a contract year? I'll remain cynical until after Spring Training.

VERDICT: If he stays injury-free and productive, the signing puts the Yanks in a prime spot for the World Series. But then again, we said that about Detroit (and both New Yorks) last season, didn't we?