Teixeira Hangs In Hoboken?

Mark Teixeira is going to make a ton of money this offseason and the New York Yankees may just be the team to flip the bill for his services. With Jason Giambi's horrendous contract coming off the books this fall, Tex wearing pinstripes should be a consistent rumor.

However, there may be even more reason to consider the Baltimore native signing in New York as his sister apparently resides in Hoboken and Tex loves it:

The Yankees and Mets both could be looking for a first baseman next year, as Jason Giambi and Carlos Delgado will be likely be let go.

When the Rangers were looking to trade Teixeira last year, some speculated he'd want to either go to Atlanta (he went to Georgia Tech) or Baltimore (where he grew up). But Heyman adds a new wrinkle with the report that Teixeira's sister - Elizabeth Durastanti - lives right here in Hoboken.

"I love it. I love coming here,'' Teixeira said on a recent trip to New York. "I grew up in a big city. I went to college in a big city [Georgia Tech, in Atlanta]. I like having a lot of things to do.''

Plus, he's of Portuguese ancestry, so he'll love the Ironbound.

Heyman also gives the odds for various teams signing Teixeira, and has the Yankees as the favorites as 3-2, followed by the Mets at 4-1.

Nobody can resist the strange yet alluring Hoboken culture which fuses fraternity life with corporate ties.

Heyman: 'No Chance' For Braves To Retain Tex. Sports Illustrated columnist Jon Heyman cites an MLB general manager source who believes the Atlanta Braves have a better chance of getting 200 innings out of Mike Hampton than keeping Mark Teixeira in the ATL. Of course the Yankees will be in the running for Teixeira, along with the BoSox and his hometown Orioles as potential suitors. The notebook also tells of a sit-down between Brian Cashman and Joba Chamberlain.

• One GM summed up what he saw as the Braves' chances to keep Teixeira: "No chance.'' That GM predicted the Red Sox, Orioles and Yankees would all be lining up -- and possibly the Giants, Mariners, Angels and Dodgers, too (though L.A. should feel comfortable with James Loney at first). Most see Teixeira wanting to stay somewhere on the East Coast, anyway.

• Good job by Yankees GM Brian Cashman to sit down with Joba Chamberlain and give him some rules, even beyond the pitch count limitations. Not that there's any evidence of a problem (I'm still young enough not to consider a nipple ring a problem), but there's no sense letting this sort of talent get off track.

For a general manager, it's important to keep your rising stars focused on the task at hand and not allow them to become preoccupied with outside activities. This is especially relevant with Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy growing up in the New York City spotlight.

Rangers Hated On Tex For "Winning" Statements. Mark Teixeira drew ire from his Texas teammates and coaches when he expressed his desire to play for a contender - and said the Rangers were far from contending. The author: "Rangers types started floating this idea that losing Tex helped them and not simply because of Salty and his fellow Braves prospects -- Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, et al. -- look to have huge upside." The writer goes on to refer to Alex Rodriguez as A-Fraud for leaving the Texas Rangers in 2004. How does this chick have a column?

No Teixeira News Is Good News For Yanks. Braves fans want to know if Mark Teixeira will be manning first base in 2009 and for the forseeable future. However, the talented switch-hitter has yet to yield any hints on the topic, leaving the organization guessing what his next move will be. With Jason Giambi's $20 million per season coming off the books following this year, the Yankees are a good fit for Teixeira and his likely exorbitant contract demands. The fact that Tex's agent is none other than Scott Boras - who was recently humbled by the Yankees ownership and his own client in Alex Rodriguez - may make it an interesting derby.

Teixeira, Braves Talking Extension?

Some signings of interest and possible free agent movement to take notice of.

Mark Teixeira got his money for 2008, but the Atlanta Braves are reportedly making efforts to retain the talented first baseman long term. From Rotoworld:

General manager Frank Wren said Thursday that the Braves have "had quite a bit of dialogue" with Mark Teixeira regarding a long-term contract extension. Eligible for free agency following the season, Teixeira avoided arbitration by agreeing Thursday to a one-year deal worth $12.5 million. With Scott Boras as his agent, there's speculation that Teixeira is looking to hit the open market next winter.

With Jason Giambi coming off the books after the season, then Yankees are guaranteed to be players in the Teixeira sweepstakes, barring of course, a surprising signing made by the Braves. One issue has yet to be brought up with a potential pursuit of Teixeira by the Yankees. Considering Boras' egomania and greed, aftershocks from his bitter exclusion from the Alex Rodriguez negotiations will surely carry over into any talks of Tex.

On the pitching front, Octavio Dotel is now off the market, though the Yankees did not appear to have much interest in the righthander. Dotel agreed to a two year contract with the White Sox worth $11 million, according to Impact Deportivo. From Rotoworld:

Dotel will have done quite well if he gets a guaranteed two-year deal for that much money despite not throwing more than 30 2/3 innings in a season since 2004. He showed that injuries haven't sapped him of dominant stuff in limited action last season and would potentially give the White Sox an elite late-inning setup man in front of closer Bobby Jenks.

Kenny Williams and the ChiSox has the rest of Major League Baseball scratching their heads. Including the four year deal given to Scott Linebrink, Chicago's ponied up $30 million on declining/oft-injured relievers this offseason.

This is a lot of risk. The reward could be great, creating an elite setup and closing staff. However, the risk is equally great, resulting in a volatile bullpen based around a TJ recovery case without much post-op success and a career national leaguer who's seen his numbers steadily decline outside of his huge home ballpark.