What Should Tex Do

If you trust ESPN.com then free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira is on the verge of making a decision on his future.

'Tex' is probably the best free agent left on the market as we speak (Manny Ramirez is out there as well, but he's in his mid thirties), and there are at least five teams that want him.

The Red Sox have - according to the Boston Herald - made a 'historic' offer to Teixeira. The Angels, who traded for him last season, have made their intentions known - they want him back and have made an offer as well.

The Nationals and Orioles are also in the Tex Sweepstakes. Not because they are contenders, but because Teixeira is a Maryland native. The Nationals, who have a gorgeous new ballpark but no one coming to their games, have promised Teixeira he will be the face of the franchise. That, alone of course, isn't going to get the deal done. Maybe the eight years and $160M they have apparently put on the table will.

And then there's Baltimore. The Orioles can afford to let Teixeira go to either the Red Sox or the Angels. What they cannot afford to do is let him sign with Washington. The Orioles have been a losing team for years, fans are tired of it, and those fans that are in the D.C. area (the ones that used to be Orioles fans) now have a team to call their own in the Nats (even if they aren't any good). O's fans, who have held protests as Camden Yards in recent seasons, would completely lose it if their native son decided to go to Washington.

So, you'd figure that the Orioles would have put the best offer on the table, right? Nope. Peter Angelos is reportedly only offering seven years and between $140M and $150M. If the Red Sox, Angels, and Nats are all at eight years for significantly more money, then the Orioles are just praying Teixeira will give them a hometown discount.

And then there are the Yankees, who are said to be in on the Teixeira race as well. I, for one, am not buying it. They just spent $243M on pitching, are looking to get even more pitching, and traded for Nick Swisher, who they have slotted in to play first base already. If the Yankees are in on Tex, they are only in it to drive the price up for everyone else.

So, what should Teixeira do? If he has four serious offers on the table, which one should he take.

If it's me, I'm taking the Boston offer. It's on the East Coast, so he would be close to home. It would be for an historic amount of money, which is important because Tex's agent is Scott Boras. And, the Red Sox are clearly going for it after losing to Tampa Bay in the ALCS last season. They have identified their weaknesses and are trying to address them. First base was considered a major weakness, and putting Teixeira in a lineup with Big Papi and everyone else Boston has could shore it up in a big way.

Besides, the Sox have won titles in 2004 and 2007, and there is no reason to think they won't contend for one in 2009.

It would be easy for Teixeira to stay with the Angels, but the Angels have had their problems in the post-season lately. They have made the playoffs no less than four times since winning it all in 2002, but have won just one playoff series, and lost in the first round the last two seasons. That, combined with the defection of K-Rod to the Mets means the Angels really aren't any stronger than they were in 2008. In fact, they are weaker, which wouldn't come into play during the regular season (because the rest of the West is just that bad), but would hurt in the playoffs should they get there again.

Tha Nats are years away from winning. This is a franchise that has not recovered from years of mismanagement when they were the Montral Expos. Teixeira would be a nice local attraction, but there isn't much else to watch outside of Ryan Zimmerman. If Tex goes to Washington, it would be for the money.

If reports are true that the Orioles offer is for less money and a shorter term than everyone else's, then they aren't even worth Teixeira's time. Their offer is seemingly for PR purposes only.

So, if everything is equal (money and length of contract), as it seems to be between Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington (which is shocking in and of itself), then Teixeira should go where he has the best chance to win.

And, that clearly is Boston.