Last week’s discussion about Mark Teixeira got me thinking. Rather than take the route (this time) of speculating wildly on my own, I decided to seek out a knowledegable outside opinion. So I emailed Jim Reeves, a columnist at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Much to our collective benefit, he agreed to a Q&A.

I’ve broken the discussion into two segments. This post contains the Q&A, the next contains my comments. Once you’re done here, head on over to the archive of Jim’s columns — he’s good. This post in particular has a lot of relevance to what we’re talking about.

Enjoy…

First thing’s first: how good is Mark Teixeira, really? What kind of an impact is he likely to make on a new team?

Tex’s numbers speak for themselves. He’s an impact player on whatever team he plays, both with his bat and his glove. He’s a Gold Glover who lives up to that reputation every year. He takes pride in his defense. He has more power left-handed but he’s a 30-40 home run, 100-120 RBI guy. The only problem he’s had recently has been starting slow in April the last two years.

What kind of a guy is he in the clubhouse and community?

Mark is the typical Scott Boras client. He’s well-spoken but generally politically correct. That said, his fingerprints were all over Buck Showalter’s neck when Showalter was fired and there have been consistent rumors recently that there’s tension between him and new manager Ron Washington because Washington asked him to be more disciplined in his at-bats, to take more pitches. He’s active in the community with charities and activities. He understands his role as a major league star encompasses more than just putting a uniform and what he does on the field.

Where do the Rangers really stand? Is it a foregone conclusion that he’ll be moved, or could circumstances change their plans?

With the signing of Michael Young to an $80 million deal, it has been widely assumed that Tex’s future will take him elsewhere. Part of that is Boras’ reputation for taking his clients to free agency and the highest dollar available. Tex, while not in A-Rod’s league, is corporate slick and understands how the business works. His stay with the Rangers hasn’t been so smooth that his ties to the organization are all that strong.

Does it look like a deadline-type deal if it happens, or do the Rangers want to get it out of the way earlier than that?

GM Jon Daniels was quoted today (June 6) as saying that he’s making no calls regarding Teixeira but will listen if another team calls and does expect to start hearing from other teams before the trade deadline. Clearly, they won’t sell Tex cheap.

If they do decide to make a trade, what will they be expecting in return? And beyond that, what are they likely to actually get given the circumstances?

It would make sense that the Rangers would be looking for top prospects, especially pitching and perhaps an outfielder. Their minor league system is currently hurting for true position-player prospects. They’ll be looking for young, major-league ready players.

As far as you can gather, how serious are the Orioles and what are the odds he ends up in Baltimore? Who else is gunning for him?

I would have to think that Baltimore would be very serious about landing a player of Tex’s caliber, especially since he’s a local talent. But I also expect a high-quality market for Teixeira. Whoever trades for him will obviously be concerned about getting him signed long-term and that eliminates a lot of teams up front. We’re talking about a contract in the area of $150-$180M, is my guess. I would expect the Yankees and Red Sox to be interested (neither will want to see the other wind up with him) but his defensive ability also makes him a prime candidate for a National League club, too. The Mets? They have Delgado, so I don’t know. Maybe the Braves, possibly the Dodgers.

Does he want to play in Baltimore?

He’s on record as saying that that would be a “dream come true,” but he doesn’t like to talk about where he might wind up.

If he does end up here, what do you think the chances are that the O’s can keep him long-term?

I would think that any team that trades for him would know what it’s likely to cost to keep him going in and that they’re ready and willing to step up and get that done. It would be a waste of good young players otherwise. Certainly the O’s won’t be trading for him to help them win a pennant this year. They have to be thinking long-term.

continued below, or go directly to part two