Dec 22nd 2008 2:50PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Thankfully for bloggers and baseball fans alike, the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes will likely draw to close in the next few days, if not the next few hours.

The Red Sox say they will not be “a factor” in the bidding, but they probably will be. The Angels are out of the running, and seem much more serious about it than Boston. The Yankees are lurking, but appear unwilling to get involved unless Teixeira’s demands drop considerably, and the Orioles are lagging behind everyone else, hoping against hope that Tex will sign at a huge discount just to play in his hometown.

All of which brings us to the Nationals, who, despite finishing with the worst record in baseball this year, remain a factor. Considering the massive rebuilding project they’re facing, that’s no small achievement, and it’s enough to make pitcher Collin Balester awfully optimistic about the state of baseball in the nation’s capital.
Every month, Washington pitcher Collin Balester appears on a satellite radio show (MLB Home Plate, Sirius 210 and XM 175). It’s called “Minors & Majors with Grant Paulsen.” When Paulsen asked Balester this week about his feelings if the Nationals sign Mark Teixeira, here’s what Balester said…

“If that happens it’s going to be a dream come true. That guy is a great player and if he comes to the nation’s capital, watch out, we’re going to the World Series and we are winning it all. I’m calling it right now. We’re playing four games in the World Series, sweep, see ya!”Continue Reading