Oh, and by the way, ticket prices have been raised.
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bill.dwyre@latimes.com
The shopping days before Christmas are running out, and the Angels have yet to land the No. 1 item on their wish list.
General manager Tony Reagins did confirm that the Angels have made an eight-year offer to free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. The offer is believed to be for approximately $160 million. But Teixeira is believed to have similar offers from the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals, with his hometown Baltimore Orioles having offered a seven-year, $150 million contract. The New York Yankees have also expressed interest in signing Teixeira.
"We think it's a competitive offer," Reagins said of the Angels' pitch. "We think it's a fair offer, and we think we offer a lot of positives.
"The ball is in their court."
In November, Teixeira was interviewed on the sideline of a football game featuring his alma mater, Georgia Tech, and said he hoped to have a decision on his future made by Christmas.
Reagins has said the Angels have not been handicapped in their offseason planning by the Teixeira negotiations, claiming that the Angels have moved forward on other fronts -- "Plan B, C, D and in some cases E." But they did lose out on one option they considered very attractive when free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez signed with the Phillies. The Angels saw Ibanez as an excellent fit in left field whether or not they signed Teixeira.
--RHP John Lackey has expressed interest in playing for Team USA in next spring's second World Baseball Classic. Lackey said he has planned his offseason workouts in order to be ready for the early spring start necessitated by the WBC. Last spring, Lackey opened the season on the disabled list with a strained triceps muscle in his pitching arm.
--The Angels tendered contract offers to all five of their arbitration-eligible players before the recent deadline -- C Mike Napoli, RHP Ervin Santana, INF Robb Quinlan, INF Chone Figgins and INF Maicer Izturis. LHP Darren Oliver is also eligible for salary arbitration after the free agent accepted the Angels' offer of arbitration earlier this month.
--C Mike Napoli has expressed an interest in playing for the Italian team in the World Baseball Classic, according to GM Tony Reagins. The Angels might be hesitant to let Napoli participate. He had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in October.
