Projo Sox Blog

John Henry's dramatic announcement last night that the Red Sox are "not going to be a factor" in acquiring free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira has only served to feed theories that the Sox are playing hardball with Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras. It wouldn't be the first time: Negotiations between the Sox and Boras over Daisuke Matsuzaka seemed to collapse multiple times before the Red Sox finally announced a deal to sign the Japanese pitcher.

Jon Heyman, the Sports Illustrated writer who broke the story when the Sox traded Boras client Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers, reports that the general feeling in baseball is that the Sox are remain very much a factor:

At least a half-dozen baseball executives with some knowledge of the process suggested to SI.com that the Red Sox remain interested in Teixeira and are merely intent on sticking to their last proposal (which one source pegged at close to but probably not more than $180 million for eight years). While none of these people were in the room in Dallas where Red Sox owner John Henry and general manager Theo Epstein met with Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras, they all have some peripheral knowledge of the negotiations.

And if the Red Sox are being outbid by someone, it isn't the Angels, according to the Los Angeles Times:

The Red Sox were believed to have offered Teixeira an eight-year deal in the $175-million range, and a source who is familiar with negotiations but is not authorized to speak about them on the record said it was "significantly" better than the Angels' offer.

Over at The Globe, a survey finds the public divided 50-50 as to whether Henry is bluffing, but more people think Teixeira will land with the Red Sox than with anyone else.

 Tags  free agency Mark Teixeira Scott Boras

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