Yankees Land Big Prize Teixeira: 8 Years, $180M

New York swoops in to keep first baseman away from rival Red Sox
By Will McCahill,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 23, 2008 4:18 PM CST
Yankees Land Big Prize Teixeira: 8 Years, $180M
Mark Teixeira has won a Gold Glove for his defensive work at first base in addition to being an extremely productive offensive player.   (AP Photo)

The New York Yankees snatched the off-season’s biggest remaining free-agent prize away from their rivals today, agreeing with first baseman Mark Teixeira on an 8-year contract worth about $180 million, the Post reports. The Boston Red Sox were thought to have had the inside track on the 28-year-old switch-hitter, who’s both an offensive force and a solid defensive player.

The Yankees, set to move into a new stadium for the 2009 season, have now spent nearly $425 million on three free-agent pickups; they added pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett two weeks ago. The Red Sox and two teams based near Teixeira’s Maryland home—the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles—had similar offers on the table.
(More Mark Teixeira stories.)

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