The Orioles have taken the first step in their pursuit of Maryland-born first baseman Mark Teixeira.
"We have had discussions with his representative," club president Andy MacPhail said yesterday.
The Orioles contacted Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras, on Friday, the first day clubs were allowed to officially court free agents, MacPhail said.
There were no offers; Boras indicated he would get back to the Orioles when he wanted to talk specifics. It was simply an initial conversation between two deliberate, thorough men in a process that will take weeks, maybe months before resolution.
The waiting game begins, but the Orioles shouldn't sit back and enjoy the music while they're on hold. They need to do something highly un-Oriole-like. They need to recruit Teixeira as if he were at Mount St. Joseph looking for that perfect school.
For the most part over the years, the Orioles have adhered to the low-pressure sell, with the occasional Camden Yards tour or dinner engagement. There have been no over-the-top, light-up-a-cell-phone recruitment efforts.
That holds true so far. No one has been given the green light to dial up Tex.
But if MacPhail and the Orioles are serious about signing him - and, to a lesser extent, Monkton resident A.J. Burnett - there has to be a full-court press.
Will it work?
Probably not, but it wouldn't hurt. There's nothing but a 12th consecutive sub-.500 season to lose.
"I think there are situations and places where [a full recruiting effort] can be very effective," MacPhail said. "We are all human beings and we all want to feel wanted. At the same time, you have to recognize there are other real-life factors going into these decisions."
Money is one, of course. There's also the potential to win and quality-of-life issues. And did we mention money?
There's no question, though, that a significant recruitment effort can be a factor. When B.J. Ryan left here for Toronto, he said a primary reason was that the Blue Jays were unrelenting in their interest from the first allowable minute until he signed a deal. They also offered the best contract. Let's not be naive here.
But the personal touch helped. It often does. Ask Adam Loewen, who bolted from Baltimore last month after Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston called and asked him to join his favorite childhood organization.
The Orioles can't offer Teixeira a chance to play on an immediate contender. But they could wrap up the saltiest offer in their history with a heartstring tug.
