And Then There Were 3

The Orioles appear to have dropped out of the Teixeira running. Yesterday ESPN said they may be the front runners but today Buster Olney says they have not increased their initial offer and are behind the Red Sox, Nats, and Angels. The three remaining teams all have 8 year deals on the table, Boras will try to get at least one more year for his client. Yesterday the Red Sox said they would not sign any player to a 10 year deal. The Red Sox are up against their limit for signing Teixeira so it now really comes down to the Angels. The Nats will have the biggest offer money wise at the end of the negotiations but they are not and will not be a winning team for a long time. The Angels can offer Teixeira a chance at the post-season and they may have the funds to bring him on board. If they add a 9th year to their offer they will land Teixeira as it is unlikely the Sox will match it. If the bidding ended today without any increase to the offers, Tex would be headed to Boston.

UPDATE: The O's said they're not dead yet to the Baltimore Sun:

"We have indicated before that we have flexibility," Orioles president Andy MacPhail said today. "I don't think anyone expects [Teixeira's agent Scott Boras] to lean over and accept the first proposal."