Mark Teixeira
#9 in a series: 10 Darkest Days in Atlanta Braves history
JOHN SCHUERHOLZ'S EPIC FAIL
JULY 31, 2007
During a promising 2007 season, the Atlanta Braves, to a man, wanted to taste the high life one more time, and the opportunity seemed to present itself in a major way as the 2007 trade deadline approached.
But going into their game of July 29, the Braves had slipped to a 54-51 record, 4.5 games back, after back-to-back extra inning walkoff losses to Arizona. But a 14-0 win followed by a day off set the stage for a blockbuster, an announcement that rocked Braves fandom and one of the biggest deals in Atlanta's long history and the tenure of general manager John Schuerholz.
The Braves, willingly and without question, mortgaged their immediate future to acquire all-star first baseman Mark Teixeira (a Georgia Tech all-American once upon a time) from the Texas Rangers. Scheduled to become a free agent in 2008, Teixeira had already turned down a contract extension that would pay him $140 million over the next eight seasons – giving the Braves a perfectly clear understanding that there was no way in hell they could afford to sign him to an extension. But they craved his bat. But Schuerholz had to come to terms with boy wonder general manager Jon Daniels, who at age 28, had become the youngest g.m. in history when he replaced John Hart (yes, that John Hart), who voluntarily moved upstairs.
Realizing that he had Braves g.m. John Schuerholz over a barrel, Daniels, now 30, did not give an inch in negotiations, rebuffing the Braves' attempt to add pitcher C.J. Wilson to the deal. When the dust settled, the Rangers picked up catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus, lefties Matt Harrison and Beau Jones and flame throwing reliever Neftali Feliz – the Braves' No. 1, 2, 3, 14 and 18 rated prospects, according to Baseball America, with teen shortstop Andrus the best of the bunch.
Teixeira actually delivered the goods, unlike past panic trades by the Braves (see Barker, Len). In the final 54 games of 2007, he batted .317 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs to give him 30 homers and 105 RBIs for the season. But the remaining Braves did not match his output and the team never got closer than 2.5 games of the division winning Phillies, finishing 84-78, five games out, in third place. They were 28-27 from August 1st on.
The disappointment continued into the 2008 season. Teixeira, destined to test the free agent market, was making a case for himself in spacious Turner Field, hitting .283-20-78 in 103 games. But the club placed around him was a disaster; exactly one year after they'd decided to trade for Teixeira, the Braves were 49-58 and nine games out of the lead. Schuerholz, promoted to club president in the off-season, and new GM Frank Wren compounded the disaster by trading Teixeira to the AL's best team, the Angels, for Casey Kotchman. He also played first base, but the similarities ended there. A good glove man once upon a time, he was square peg in a round hole with the Braves. Add to that, his mother's illness led to his taking a leave of absence late in the 2008 campaign. They signed him to a new deal (one year, 2.885 million), but was eventually moved to the Red Sox as the Braves reacquired old friend Adam LaRoche at the trade deadline.
The rest of the story: Teixeira was a huge boost for the Angels' pennant run, batting .358-13-43 over the final 54 games of the 2008 season (32-22) as the Angels won 100 games, then hit .467 in the AL Division Series that the Angels lost to Boston. He then signed with the Yankees for a then-mind-boggling $180 million over eight years.
Of the five players the Braves traded to the Rangers, Salty (as of 2016) has gone on to enjoy a nine-year MLB career; Andrus has been a two-time all-star in his seven-year career; Harrison was derailed by serious back problems after being named an all-star in 2012, but has put in parts of eight MLB seasons for the Rangers (50-35); and Feliz was a 2010 all-star (40 saves) and has pitched seven seasons for the Rangers and Tigers. Beau Jones was the only true washout in the deal, failing to reach the majors and last playing in 2012. Total haul: four all-star designations and 31 combined MLB seasons.
The Rangers were American League champions in 2010 and 2011. Jon Daniels remains general manager and has since been named president of baseball operations.
Matt Harrison
Elvis Andrus
Neftali Feliz
Jerrod Saltalamacchia
Beau Jones
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