Major League Mongering: Teixeira to Atlanta

Major League Mongering will look at players rumored to be on the move between now and the July 31st pseudo-trade-deadline.

It's becoming more and more rare to see blockbuster deals at the deadline, but that might not be the case this year if there is any truth to these Mark Teixeira rumors. From MLB.com:

But one Major League scout confirmed the Braves and Rangers are still discussing a trade that would be headlined with Teixeira and almost definitely include Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Atlanta's 22-year-old switch-hitting catcher who stands as one of the most attractive prospects on the trade market.

This isn't the first time we've heard this rumor, and with the trade deadline just a week away, it's not surprising to see it pick up steam.

Why does this need to happen? The Braves are desperate for a big stick at first base. How desperate? Their current first basemen have combined for a pathetic .205 batting average and .621 OPS this year, which each rank dead last in the National League by wide margins. Scott Thorman, who's seen most of the starts, has been so bad that the Braves have played Saltamacchia out of position there and even picked up 800-year-old Julio Franco.

What might he bring in return? Like the report from MLB.com suggests, the Rangers probably wouldn't do this deal for anything less than a package involving Saltamacchia, widely regarded as one of the best catching prospects in the game who's unfortunately blocked at the big-league level in Atlanta by the 23-year-old Brian McCann. Other players that Atlanta might deal include young pitching prospect Jo-Jo Reyes or shortstop Elvis Andrus.

Who else is interested? If Teixeira is truly on the block, you have to imagine both the Yankees and Red Sox will make competing offers. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that Teixeira will be a free agent eligible for arbitration at the end of the season (Ed. -- fixed), and he's already indicated that he'd welcome a return to his hometown Orioles. Then again, perhaps playing on the east coast for New York or Boston is close enough, especially since they're far more likely to offer him a crazy contract.

Should fantasy owners care? If you already own him, you're probably not thrilled about the idea of taking him out of the Ballpark at Arlington, but in all honesty the effect on his numbers over the last two months would probably be quite small. But if you play in an NL-only league, the addition of a bona fide All-Star slugger to the player pool would be huge, perhaps enough to shift the balance of power at the top of the standings.