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The Big Burning Question: Keep or Trade Slugger Mark Teixeira?July 31st, 2008
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The non-waiver trade deadline soon approaches and there is a growing buzz all around the city. Every sports writer, columnist or blogger out there in the blogosphere has an opinion. Braves general manager Frank Wren is holed up somewhere with a lot on his mind. Braves president John Schuerholz and chairman Terry McQuirk are there, too. Important decisions must be made before July 31st. It’s that time of year in the baseball universe, when almost every GM in the game is scrambling to either improve their team for the stretch run or unload some of their valuable players in order to build for the future.
The Braves organization needs to look to their future. Pending a monumental turnaround, the chances that they will make the postseason in 2008 is slim to none. That’s why they have to make the right decision and trade gold glove first baseman Mark Teixeira by Thursday. Under the grim circumstances of this disappointing season, it’s the only logical move to make. It’s not that Teixeira isn’t a very good player. It’s that the Braves gave up way too much collateral out of their farm system to acquire Teixeira, and they don’t want to see all that potential talent wasted on the fat, free agent contract that he’ll command on the open market this offseason.
One year ago, the Braves were lucky enough to land Teixeira and southpaw reliever Ron Mahay from the Texas Rangers. The idea at the time was that both additions could do the Braves tremendous good; Teixeira would bolster the middle of a lineup that was ailing offensively and Mahay would help to sure up a shaky bullpen that had lost lefty Mike Gonzalez to season-ending “Tommy John” surgery. When then GM John Scheurholz pulled the trigger on the trade, giving up top prospects Jarrod Saltalmacchia, Elvis Andrus and three other lesser prospects, he knew that he was sacrificing the future for the present. Win now. If not in 2007, the Braves definitely looked poised to make a playoff run in 2008.
That hope obviously never had a chance to flourish. An unmerciful amount of injuries to key players has this year’s Braves on their way to their third straight season with no postseason. Even though they could keep Teixeira for the rest of this year, it would be a grave mistake. The morale in Braves Nation has vanished. The reality has started to sink in that 2008 is not our year. It would be great if the Braves’ payroll was deep enough to re-sign Teixeira, but the fact of the matter is that they can’t come close to matching the absurd numbers that Teixeira’s hard-nosed agent – Scott Boras – will demand once negotiations start this winter.
The fact that Teixeira turned down an eight-year, $130 million dollar contract offer from the Rangers just goes to show you how Scott Boras likes to operate. Always a fierce negotiator, Boras loves to test the free agent market. He has an impressive list of clients, including Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones. They all receive incredibly lucrative deals that far exceed the norm. Teixeira won’t be an exception. That’s why the Braves have got to send him on his way, while there’s still time to lockdown some quality players in return.
In a perfect world, the Braves would be looking to acquire at least two outstanding pitching prospects in the mold of Jair Jurrjens for Teixeira. However, the current market isn’t booming with that kind of starting pitching, even if it’s unproven. The market also isn’t laced with contending teams that need a power-hitting first baseman. The teams that are being tossed around the rumor mill include the Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Angels, Dodgers and Pirates. Each of these teams could offer a player in return that the Braves could use at first base to avoid a platoon situation. This may not be the best scenario for the Braves, but they need to take the best offer they can get and run with it. Losing a gold glove caliber switch-hitting behemoth is never easy for any team. But if the Braves don’t trade Teixeira now, they’ll be losing a lot more.
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