The Angels’ offer is believed to have been an eight-year contract worth at least $160 million. Sources indicate that the Angels didn’t believe they were still in the running and didn’t want to waste time on a lost cause.

Now that the Angels have dropped out, the remaining four teams in the running are the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox recently said that they were no longer in the running, however many baseball insiders believe that talk from Boston was simply a contract negotiating ploy.

Now that the Angels are out of the running, they could look in a variety of different direction. One option is Manny Ramirez, the former Red Sox who finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other bats they could be looking at include Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu. If the Angels opt for pitching, one option could be closer Brian Fuentes. Fuentas would make sense since the Angels lost Francisco Rodriguez to the New York Mets earlier in the offseason.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

2. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are desperate to turn around their dying franchise. Mark Teixeira is a hometown kid who grew up as an Orioles fan. Even if Baltimore has to overpay him, it’d be worth it to the organization in terms of making their fans excited again.

3. Washington Nationals
Like the Orioles, Teixeira is a kid from the neighborhood. Also like the Orioles, Teixeira would give validity to their ballclub. The Nationals would have to pay a whole lot of money to woo him to Washington, but they may just be desperate enough.

4. Los Angeles Angels
Even though the Los Angeles Angels appear to be a long shot at the moment, they have deep enough pockets to get Teixeira to consider re-signing. He knows the team and by all accounts enjoyed his time as part of the Angels, so there’s definitely a chance.

5. New York Yankees
If the Red Sox are interested in a player, you know the New York Yankees will also become interested in that player. Though the Yankees have been concentrating on pitching, Teixeira would make New York an unbelievably potent offensive team.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Mark Teixeira is perhaps the hottest name in all of baseball free agency right now. While players like CC Sabathia and Manny Ramirez get all the headlines, Teixeira is likely getting more widespread interest than any player.

Here are possible destinations for free agent Mark Teixeira:

Los Angeles Angels
His current team will undoubtedly want him to return. With their deep pockets, it’s going to be difficult to outbid the Angels.

Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are still a very good team but they need a bat to replace Manny Ramirez’s presence. Teixeira is the man in free agency who could do that.

New York Yankees
While it’s true that the Yankees want everyone, Teixeira actaully makes a lot of sense. The Yankees could play him at first base to replace the departing Jason Giambi. And while their hitting is already good, Teixeira would make it even better.

Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are the darkhorse team in this race. Teixeira is a local kid who grew up a big fan of the Orioles. If management offers a big enough contract, Teixeira will be very tempted to go home.

Washington Nationals
Need a big bat to wake up their sleeping franchise, the Nationals may think that Teixeira is the answer. His addition would undoubtedly sell tickets and give the team a chance to contend.

Photo credit: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve