Teixeira Toast

On Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves traded Mark Teixeira to the Los Angeles Angels. As reciprocation, the Braves received first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek. “Our goal is to win a world championship,” said Angels General Manager Tony Reagins. “The team is playing well at this point, but being able to add a player like Mark Teixeira just makes us that much better.”

During his career, Teixeira has batted .286 with 190 home runs and 633 runs batted in. This season, he has charted .283 with 20 home runs and 78 runs batted in. “They have the best team in baseball,” he said. “I'm not going to go over there and make them any different, other than just hopefully add a few more runs. They have all the pitching they need, they have great defense. It's a little bittersweet. I really enjoyed my time here. I had a great year here. I love this team. I love this organization. I love this city. It's tough to leave. But at the same time I have a great opportunity in Anaheim, and I'm looking forward to it. The last couple days I knew it was coming, so I prepared for it.”

On July 30, 2007, the Texas Rangers traded Teixeira to the Braves. Regrettably, Atlanta accrued only a 77-83 record. Clearly, Teixeira was overvalued.