THE THINGS YOU'RE FORCED TO DO WHEN YOUR SYSTEM'S DEVOID OF TALENT:

Sources: Teixeira takes Yanks' 8-year deal (ESPN.com news services, 12/23/08)

Free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira has reached agreement with the New York Yankees on an eight-year contract worth $180 million, two sources involved in the negotiations tell ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The contract would pay Teixeira an average of $22.5 million per season. New York has spent $423.5 million in salary in the last month, with $161 million going to left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia in a seven-year deal and $82.5 million on right-hander A.J. Burnett for five years.

Teixeira's salary also gives the Yankees, who are preparing to move into their pricey new ballpark in 2009, the four highest-paid players in Major League Baseball, including third baseman Alex Rodriguez, shortstop Derek Jeter and Sabathia.

It's better than the money they wasted on the gargantuan C.C. Sabathia, but a joke for a mere firstbaseman.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 23, 2008 4:16 PM