Observations, opinions and musings from last week in major league baseball.
When the Atlanta Braves dealt Mark Teixeira to the Los Angeles Angels for Casey Kotchman and a pitching prospect last week, an obvious question arose here:
What does it mean for the Orioles?
In terms of their chances to sign Teixeira as a free agent this offseason, the trade to the West Coast helped the Orioles' cause in one sense. And hurt it in another.
If the Angels get to the World Series - and they are the American League favorites right now - then the trade will really smart around here.
But first, a positive: The Braves are now out of the Teixeira sweepstakes. Kotchman is their cheap and talented first baseman of the future.
That's important because Atlanta is the only other place that could offer Teixeira what Baltimore can: a slice of home. Teixeira, who grew up in Severna Park and went to Mount St. Joseph, attended college at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. His wife is from Georgia. And, unlike the Orioles, the Braves have a recent legacy of winning (though that one is fading, too).
So Atlanta disappearing into the rearview mirror is an excellent thing for those who dream of Teixeira playing next to Brian Roberts at Camden Yards.
But here's the rub: He's now with the Angels, major league baseball's version of the University of Southern California. If you can play there when they are winning, why wouldn't you?
All the Angels have to offer is a well-run franchise, a huge budget, a willing owner, a tremendous manager, a roster of young and veteran stars, beautiful weather and a low-pressure environment in a big market. To top it off, Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras, is an Angels season-ticket holder whose headquarters are a short drive from the stadium.
An agent's location might not matter in most cases, but it's definitely a plus for Boras' clients. His headquarters are like a a candy store for players, jammed with every conceivable service, including personal video archives, athletic training and financial-management assistance. Being close to the place certainly doesn't hurt.
Sure, Teixeira originally is an East Coast guy, but he has a home in Texas, so it's not as if he is tethered to the Atlantic Ocean. As one club executive said last week, "If he wins a ring this year, he'll stay there forever."
There are still plenty of baseball people who think he'll go to the highest bidder, which could be the New York Yankees or the Orioles.
