So many bloggers and fans out there want the Orioles to make a play for Atlanta first baseman Mark Teixeira, who becomes a free agent at the end of this season. As the Major League trade deadline looms (THIS thursday!), O's fans are surely thinking about this Severna Park native who, in a 102-game total for the Braves this season, has been .283 with 20 home runs, 78 RBI's and an OPS of .902. We could use a little of that, I'd say.
Now I know we need to be concentrating on getting a truckload of pitchers, but we shouldn't lose sight of what an important impact getting Teixeira could have on the team. First of all, he's a local guy. Everybody loves a local guy. And if we didn't get him by trade deadline, then we'd have a lot more work ahead of us to sign him in the offseason. I know it makes sense for him to make a deal with Boston, Tampa Bay, or Arizona in order to boost their tight October races, but he was quoted as saying this:
"I realize that things are going to happen in this game that are out of your control. And over the next two months, a lot of things are going to happen that are going to be out of my control. But once I get to free agency, that's when I get to start making the calls."
So maybe when he's calling the shots, he'll remember the soft spot he has for his hometown.
Keywords: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Mark Teixeira
