In what will certianly be the biggest news driver of the MLB rumors market, George A. King III of the New York Post reports the New York Yankees have turned their free agent dollars towards 1B Mark Teixeira and OF/DH Manny Ramirez. While the Yankees would have to match/exceed the alledged 8-year/$160MM offers of the Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals for Teixeira, no one is exactly sure what it would take to land Ramirez. King says the Yanks are likely to offer three years at $20MM per, but does anyone believe that will be where Manny's agent will let it end?
On Teixeira, Mr. King says the Red Sox are not willing to go more than six years but would be willing to pay $150 million for those seasons. That is $25 million per season. Expect Scott Boras to ask the Nationals, Angels and Yankees to go seven seasons at $25 million, up from the $20 million per season previously offered.
While I don't expect either of the top free agent hitters to land in the Bronx, the fact the Yankees have spent just $39.5 million of the $88 million that came off their 2008 payroll tempers that expectation. There is no reason to think the Yankees couldn't spend at least a significant chunk of the remaining $48.5 million on one of those hitters. Preferably the switch-hitting defensive plus at 1B.
Even better, there has been no news of the Steinbrenners being swindled out of half a billion dollars either so that $48.5 million may still be available.