How The Yanks Stole Christmas by Jared Carrabis
Teixeira agrees to terms with the New York Yankees


Can’t say I’m surprised. Disappointed is more like it. It has been well over a decade since the last time the New York Yankees have failed to make the postseason. They have made it loud and clear that these are the repercussions following a baseball free month of October in the Bronx. They have always been known for their cash-spending habits and also for taking prize free agents right out of the hands of the Boston Red Sox. Well, they have done it again.

ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that Mark Teixeira has taken the eight-year offer from the New York Yankees worth $180 million. His new contract will pay the first baseman $22.5 million annually but he still isn’t even the highest paid player in the Yankee infield. He’s not even the highest paid player to get a new contract from the Yankees in the past month. In fact, New York has dished out $423.5 million in just the past month alone to free agents.

Folks, this shouldn’t be news to you but let me just take the time to remind you. Teams with chemistry win championships. This Yankee team is just an All Star team full of egos and personal agendas. The Red Sox clubhouse with Mike Lowell is a team that has been together for a number of seasons. This is a team that at full health knows what it takes to win a World Series championship because they have done that already. This Red Sox team is a team that fights for the guy sitting next to him in the dugout whereas this is a Yankee team that fights for the guy he sees in the mirror.

The Yankees have made it very clear that they are now a postseason contender, but the Red Sox have also made it very clear that they don’t care. Boston came within just three runs of a trip to the World Series last year with a team that’s overall health was hovering around 65% considering the seriousness of the injuries and which players were plagued by them. At full health, there is no reason why a team with this much talent can’t get back to where they were last October and get over that hump.

Don’t expect Mike Lowell to catch Nomar-syndrome and mail in his 2009 season because his name came up in trade talks to make room for a larger talent. Lowell is a professional; Nomar (as well as Boston fans) was living in a dream world where Garciaparra would always be playing in Boston. The trade talks hurt Nomar’s feelings whereas Mike Lowell understands that there is a business side to this game and that the Red Sox had to look to improve their team where it was lacking.

Last but not least, take into consideration that the Red Sox obviously have the money that it would take to eclipse the offer that lured Teixeira to the Yankees. The fact is that the Red Sox front office backed off when the asking price was too high. Usually when they do that (cough, A-Rod, cough) their gut instinct has been right. In conclusion, the Red Sox are in good shape for 2009. Would they have been in better shape if they had signed Teixeira? We will never know, but in the case of losing out on Alex Rodriguez in the winter leading up to the 2004 season, I don’t think we’ll ever want to know.

-Jared Carrabis

Published on December 23, 2008

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