There's a piece in the S-T today about the Rangers infield, their All-Star chances, and their personalities...
For the most part, it is a puff piece, although there is a cryptic passage about Teixeira worth noting:
Teixeira, along with Soriano, is the one whom people seem to assume aren't in the Rangers' long-term future. Teixeira's agent is Scott Boras, who drives a hard bargain, and Teixeira does not have a long-term contract as Young and Blalock do. The Rangers have never approached him about one, Teixeira says, and there's only one way to find out if he would be interested.
As Teixeira pointed out, "They'd have to ask me for me to turn them down."
I refuse to think about Teixeira not being here long-term. There are those who insist that he's dead-set on returning to Baltimore after 2008. Maybe that's the case...I don't know. But until October, 2008, Teixeira needs to be a Ranger. And the team needs to do what it can to make sure that Teixeira remains a Ranger well after 2008.
The other thing is, I'm almost positive that it was reported that the Rangers approached Teixeira about a long-term deal, and he rebuffed him. Teixeira says they haven't approached him. I'm not sure who is confused or mistaken here, but either way, the team should be at least trying to work with him on a long-term contract that keeps him here for the next 7 or 8 years.