YANKEES 101

In a day and age of sports where a large amount of years and a considerable amount of dollars is common to an athlete, it's even more common for the fan to scrutinize and give their own opinions on a contract. 

While you will never hear third baseman Alex Rodriguez come to such an admission on his own contract that has become an albatross, a refreshing point of view came in the form of first baseman Mark Teixeira during an interview with Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal,

“Agents are probably going to hate me for saying it. You're not very valuable when you're making $20 million. When you're Mike Trout, making the minimum, you are crazy valuable. My first six years, before I was a free agent, I was very valuable. But there's nothing you can do that can justify a $20 million contract.”

Teixeira, who turns 33 in April, is without question one of the best defensive first basemen in the game. However, at a little over $20 million a year, hovering around a .250 batting average the past three seasons leaves a lot to be desired for such a large contract.

Needless to say, Teixeira still has 30 home-run, 100 RBI a year capability, and while he's at the end of his "prime" years, is only a few years removed from being a consistent .300 hitter (.292 in his first year in pinstripes).

While it can be agreed he's not worth such a large premium and it's hard to speculate how much better things will get, Teixeira should get ample opportunity again this season to drive in runs. Additionally, for as well-known as he used to be for drawing walks, it would be nice to see his on-base percentage bounce back up. 

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