Some more stuff out there on the Teixeira trade this evening...
Evan Grant has a full article up on the deal and Teixeira's time in Texas, and points out that, with the Rangers getting back an 18 year old, a 19 year old, a 21 year old, and a 22 year old, this is a deal that was about making the team better in the long-term, rather than in 2008.
Kevin Sherrington echoes that sentiment, noting that the safer path would have been to take the Angels' offer of Casey Kotchman and Joe Saunders, two guys who could step in and improve the team more immediately. Sherrington also says that a friend of his who saw Saltalamacchia and Andrus in Myrtle Beach said that this was a "steal" for the Rangers, before the pitchers are even taken into account.
The more I think about this, the more I think that those people who are always bitching about this team looking for the quick fix, refusing to take a long-view or deal with the pain of rebuilding, should be very happy with what this indicates about the team's direction.
Keith Law has praise for the haul the Rangers got for Teixeira, with the key word again being "upside," although he questions whether Saltalamacchia will stay behind the plate. Has really good things to say about Elvis Andrus, though, and says that Feliz is a great guy to get as a "third man" in a deal because those sorts of live arms are always in demand via trade.
Jeff Passan marvels at this deal, because of general managers' reluctance to make the big sort of "Bartolo Colon" deal at the trade deadline, not wanting to be the guy who gave up the next Grady Sizemore for a late season run for the playoffs.