Teixeira Really Not Coming to Baltimore?

Reading the constant news & rumors on Teixeira is becoming annoying. Since the information seems to change daily, who knows what's true now.

Today, ESPN -- the Worldwide Leader and the same people who yesterday reported that the Teixeira might have an affinity for Charm City -- is backing off and asserting that the Orioles are falling behind in getting the slugger according to Buster Olney.

The latest:

From ESPN: Unless free agent Mark Teixeira is willing to give the Orioles a major hometown discount, it does not appear he will be playing in Baltimore.

The Orioles have stood by their initial offer and have not upgraded it, and sources say that the other teams involved in the bidding -- the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals -- have gone beyond Baltimore's proposal for the slugging first baseman.

Teixeira, 28, is considered one of the top unsigned free agents. He batted .308 with 33 home runs, 121 RBIs and a .552 slugging percentage for the Angels and Atlanta Braves last season.

The only way the Orioles can be considered a serious player for Teixeira now, sources say, would be if the Maryland native were to take their offer, which is believed to be for seven years and about $150 million.

"The Orioles are out of it, unless Teixeira really, really wants to play there," said one source.

If this is true, it shows that he cares about the money and going to a "winner", like I thought would happen and it only makes sense. This report has too been confirmed by Roch Kubatko via some rumors that the slugger had actually signed with Baltimore.

Basically, it looks like the Orioles are not in the frame of mind to be jerked around or used to jack up the price for Boras and his star client.

So far, most of the media believes that he's not coming to Baltimore and will more than likely end up in Boston.

If were really out of it, we need to focus on getting some arms, and also a Plan B for Mark (maybe Adam Dunn, Eric Hinske, or some other reasonably priced DH option.)

I don't want to imagine what the reaction would be amongst those who really, really wanted him in a Baltimore uniform.

While teams are waiting by the phone to hear if Mark Teixeira wants to play with them or not, the are reports that the Boston Red Sox may be in lead...

Boston.com: A general manager of one of the five teams involved in the Mark Teixeira talks said this morning that in his opinion, if the talks ended right now, Boston would land the coveted free agent first baseman.

"I think they're in the lead and ahead of where everyone else is right now," the GM said. "I'm not sure who's bidding against them at this point."

Asked whether he thought the talks would end soon, he said, "You just never know where Scott Boras and the Red Sox are involved."

The Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Nationals, and Angels are the teams still involved in the negotiations. All appear to have genuine interest -- with the possible exception of the Yankees.

I had a feeling of this all along. Again, most of us really don't know what is going on.

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