Mark Teixeira took a long time deciding where he would sign as his agent, Scott Boras, floated rumors regarding which teams were involved in the bidding for the high-priced free agent. The Angels were a player, as were the Nats and Orioles because of the hometown factor. The Red Sox were said to be closing in on a deal for Tex but then they said they were no longer a factor in the bidding. Not much later the Angels took their offer off the table and Teixeira unexpectedly signed with the Yankees. So what happened behind the scenes that made the Red Sox and Angels drop out of the running after appearing to be leading candidates? Murray Chass via SbB says it’s because Teixeira simply did not want to live in Boston:
“He just didn’t want to go to Boston,” the official said. “He didn’t want to be a Red Sox so Boras called the Yankees and said he really wants to be a Yankee.”
…
“The family issues and where they reside were obviously part of the decision. Tex and his wife had their discussions. I don’t know what that dialogue was.”
That last quote about the family issues were from Boras who said the deciding factor was the difference in the offers on the table, not geography. That quote seems to indicate otherwise. Knowing that Teixeira was an East Coast guy I figured the Angels were low on the radar though a team to be considered. It’s hard to know if that’s the reason Teixeira signed with the Yankees, but it seems like where his family wanted to live could be a factor. So could the $180+ million they offered him. In this scenario Teixeira got to go to a good team and get top dollar rather than a crappy team with good money (like the Nationals were offering). As long as the Yankees were willing to pay more than the Angels and Red Sox, why not take their money?
