Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Raptors at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
NBA: Thunder at Mavericks, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA: Clippers at Jazz, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: NC State at Boston College, 8 p.m. (WSBK; WRKO)
College basketball: Rutgers at Providence, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: UConn at Georgetown, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Oklahoma at Kansas, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Baylor at Texas A&M, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Rangers at Sabres, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Aaron Rodgers is sacked during Sunday's Pro Bowl. (AP)

♦ Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed disappointment that his teammates in Sunday’s Pro Bowl did not give their best effort. The NFC lost the game, 59-41.

“I’ll be honest with you. I was a little disappointed,” Rodgers told Milwaukee radio station ESPN 540. “I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed themselves.”

Added Rodgers: “I was just surprised that some of the guys either didn’t want to play or when they were in there didn’t put any effort into it.”

♦ NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp took some time during Tuesday’s Super Bowl media day to rip the Lions defense and Ndamukong Suh. Sapp said Suh needs to work on his technique.

“He was just overpowering and throwing people out of the way,” Sapp said. “On this level, everybody is that strong. That’s what you saw, him with his shoulder and people understanding he was just going to go through them. That’s the way he rushes. He goes through you. All I got to do is get myself a nice little base and be ready to go.”

♦ Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, a switch-hitter who hit a career-worst .224 from the left side last year (.302 as a righty), made some news Thursday when he said he might try bunting when teams play a shift on him.

“I’ve been so against it my entire career,” he said. “But I might lay down a few bunts. If I can beat the shift that way, that’s important.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 1, 2004, which Bruin recorded a hat trick in a 4-1 victory over the Penguins and in the process set a team record by scoring six consecutive Bruins goals over three games?

Read the rest of this entry »

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira has parted ways with longtime agent Scott Boras. Teixeira made the announcement before Wednesday’s spring training game against the Astros.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” Teixeira said. “There’s no reason to get into a lot of specifics right now, but sometimes business relationships just run their course. For me, my family right now, this is the best decision for me.”

Teixeira is currently in the third season of a $180 million, eight-year contract negotiated by Boras.

“Right now, the next contract isn’t really on my mind,” Teixeira said. “When I hired Scott at 18, it was to help me with my career. From the time I was a rookie, people started talking about my free-agent contract. Unfortunately, it took away from a lot of things I did on the field. I felt, at times, I was Mark Teixeira, Scott Boras’ client instead of Mark Teixeira, baseball player.”

John Boggs, the agent for Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, told The Associated Press that it is “pretty much a fait accompli” that his client will test the free agent market following the 2011 season. Earlier in the week, the Padres exercised a $6.2 million option on Gonzalez for the 2011 season, in what will be the final season of one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball.

The 28-year-old turned in his third straight All-Star campaign in 2010, hitting .298/.393/.511/.904 with 31 homers and 101 RBI, helping to lead the Padres within one game of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. According to The Associated Press, Padres GM Jed Hoyer said that San Diego would not be in a position to work out a multi-year deal with Gonzalez along the lines of either the eight-year, $180 million deal that Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees or the five-year, $125 million extension to which the Phillies signed Ryan Howard, starting in the 2012 season.

From the AP story:

Hoyer says the type of contract Gonzalez will seek in free agency is something that only a handful of markets can support, “and San Diego is not one of them.”

Adding injury to insult, the Yankees lost Mark Teixeira to a hamstring strain during Tuesday’s 10-3 loss to the Rangers in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. Teixeira was hurt while running out a grounder in the fifth inning. “Ran as hard as I could. It just gave. I could feel it,” Teixeira said. “I never hurt my hamstring in my life.” After having an MRI, Teixeira was told the injury will need 6-8 weeks to heal. Teixeira is 0-for-14 in the ALCS but had provided solid defense.

He is the one baseball fans love to hate. He is the Grinch that stole the offseason. He is the Ebenezer Scrooge who says “Humbug!” to hometown discounts, harmonizing negotiations and a love for the game over a love for money. He has every trick up his sleeve and a knack for getting every little bit that he wants. He is none other than the notorious agent himself: Scott Boras.

Sure, maybe Boras, as Curt Schilling says, “has no shame.” He certainly has no problems hyping players beyond their value, constantly painting them as a grand prize to be won and a gift to be blessed with. If Boras had his way, tapping into Johnny Damon’s stem cells would come close to discovering the fountain of youth and Matt Holliday — a potential target of the Red Sox — would serve as the poster-boy for the definition of a complete player.

Still, despite his crafty and cunning reputation, his sly fox persona, and his devious business tactics, Boras is still the leading agent in the world of negotiations. He attracts love from the players who are all about the Benjamins and draws anger from the general managers who are all about the luxury tax.

When it comes to the Red Sox, Boras has had quite a topsy-turvy history with the Fenway front office. From allowing Boston icons to become modern-day Benedict Arnolds to allegedly failing to advise his client he could make more money by accepting arbitration, Boras had made it clear that any deal that involves exchanging numbers with him is sure to spark some level of controversy. Here’s a look at recent events in the past few years between the customers of Boras and the Red Sox executive staff.

Johnny Damon

The Caveman himself vowed to never play for the Yankees. Yet when New York offered Damon a couple of million a year more than the Red Sox, Damon listened to his agent’s advice and took the money and ran. (With all that hair, a trip to the barbershop is worth more than a pretty penny.) After the 2005 season, Boras proposed his client with a weak throwing arm was set to receive a six-year, $72 million contract or  seven years at $84 million. Stunned by the ludicrous request, the Sox instead, offered Damon a four-year, $40 million deal with the possibility of raising the salary to the $44 million range. To the shock of Red Sox fans around the country, Damon let the money talk when he signed with the rival Yankees for four years and $52 million, prompting an unprecedented press conference by the then-Theo-less Red Sox to discuss the departure of a free agent in a deal that had not yet been announced by the team that signed the player.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

After missing the postseason in 2006, the Sox knew they needed a bold offseason. When Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka declared he wanted to pitch in America, the Sox brass won a $51.1 million posting bid just to open up talks with the former Seibu Lions ace. The Sox were given a 30-day deadline to strike a deal. If a contract was not in place by then, the Sox would forfeit their rights and Matsuzaka would have to return to Japan for the season.

Of course, Boras had no intention of taking the easy route to grant his client his dream to pitch in the United States. When talks stalled just days before the deadline, many speculated that Boras and the Red Sox would fail to settle on a deal since Boston figured the posting fee would play into the contract. Finally, the Sox brass flew across the country to Boras’ office in Southern California, where they reached an agreement at last on a six-year, $52 million deal along with plenty of extras and bonuses included in the package.

J.D. Drew

When J.D. Drew opted not to sign with Philadelphia after the Phillies selected him as the second overall pick in the 1997 draft, Drew instantly became a target for jeers and sneers in the City of Brotherly Love. After spending a few season in the St. Louis Cardinals outfield, Drew played one season for the Atlanta Braves before signing a five-year, $55 million pact with the Dodgers. Two seasons later, Drew decided to exercise his opt-out option in November 2006, becoming a free agent.

With the Sox in need of an outfielder, Drew seemed like a natural fit to replace some of the power that was lacking in the lineup. Though both parties reached an agreement early, it took 52 days for the five-year, $70 million deal to be finalized in January 2007. Concerned about his health, the Sox were adamant about constructing an insurance clause in case Drew’ right shoulder prevented him from playing a certain number of games. Boras obviously thought the right fielder was worth a tick over $14 million.

Mark Teixeira

Teixeira’s gold glove and World Series ring could have been engraved with a Red Sox ‘B’ instead of a Yankees ‘NY.’ When the Red Sox announced they were prepared to offer Teixeira a deal that would be the longest and the richest in the seven-year history of the John Henry ownership group, many thought Boston would be the landing spot for the marquee free agent. Yet, as was the case with Damon, the Yankees lured Teixeira away, inking him to an eight-year, $180 million deal. Boras spoiled Christmas for the Sox once again.

Jason Varitek

Boston fans were thrilled when Varitek made a rare move by remaining with the Red Sox at a lower price at four years for $40 million after winning the 2004 World Series. But in the last offseason, Boras convinced Varitek that despite his declining numbers, he deserved more than the Red Sox were willing to give. When the Red Sox offered their captain arbitration, Boras advised his client to turn down the acceptance. Unaware (according to a report a year ago) that if he had accepted arbitration he would be guaranteed a raise, Varitek ended up saving the Sox a couple of million after agreeing with Boston on a one-year, $5 million deal with an option for 2010 that Boston could pick up for $5 million or Varitek could pick up at $3 million. Varitek chose to exercise his player option last week, yet the $8 million he’ll earn over his two years in Boston is less than he would have received in 2009 alone had he accepted arbitration.

There may be three teams in the AL East that figure to be in the thick of things for the entire season, but when it comes to the offseason, the Red Sox and Yankees rule the headlines and transactions log. This past winter was no different, and it was understood from the get-go. The Yankees were going to throw a truckload of money at CC Sabathia and the Red Sox were going to do the same with Mark Teixeira. Both things happened, but the Yankees outdid themselves and the rest of the league by also adding A.J. Burnett and topping Boston’s offer to Texeira with an eight-year, $180 million pact.

In an offseason in which $88.5 million came off the books for the Bronx Bombers, a combined $423.5 million was invested in Sabathia, Burnett, and Teixeria. Meanwhile, the Red Sox, rather than throwing the money they had planned to spend on Teixeira at another free agent, went the low-cost route. They traded fourth outfielder Coco Crisp, set to make $6,083,333 in ’09, to Kansas City for reliever Ramon Ramirez, who is only costing them $441,000. To replace Crisp, they gave former first-round pick Rocco Baldelli a one-year deal worth half a million.

To solidify a rotation that a year earlier couldn’t depend on Clay Buchholz as much as initially assumed, the Sox brought in future Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz and two-time NL All-Star Brad Penny. Both players came to Boston on one-year deals– Smoltz for $5.5 plus incentives and Penny for $5 plus incentives. To improve a bullpen that had already seen the addition of Ramirez, 39-year-old Takashi Saito was given a one year, $1.5 million deal that included both incentives and a club option for the ’10 season. At the time, the signings of the three pitchers were applauded as great moves that cost the club very little and wouldn’t tie up their payroll in the future.

Hindsight’s 20-20, but at the time, who disagreed? In 20 seasons and 3395 innings, Smoltz had a career ERA of 3.26 to go with 210 winds and 154 saves. Of course, he was coming off shoulder surgery, but if anyone could come back in a big way, why not one of the game’s greatest pitchers?

Penny also was viewed as a reclamation project worth the money. When people think of the 2003 World Series, Josh Beckett is the first name that comes up, but a closer look could might surprise some. Though Beckett dominated in the series-clinching Game 6 for the Marlins, it was Penny who went 2-0 in the series while Beckett actually lost Game 3. Additionally, Penny had finished third in NL Cy Young voting in 2007.

Rounding out the trio of big names picked up on the cheap, Saito was the guy who stepped in for Eric Gagne when injuries and ineffectiveness took over for the ’03 NL Cy Young winner. The Japanese-born Saito figured to fit in wonderfully with a pitching staff that already had Hideki Okajima and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Playing up the chemistry angle, Dan Barbarisi of the Providence Journal wrote this spring of the unlikely friends and karaoke-mates that Penny and Saito have become since their years together in LA. Read it and you’re promised to be bummed that the two no longer share the same clubhouse.

This piece from Over the Monster is just one of the many expressions of approval of the inexpensive-but-potentially brilliant offseason. Posted in March, the piece contained the following praise of each of the signings:

On Smoltz: “If he can contribute on the level Braves fans had become accustomed to seeing over the last couple decades, the Red Sox may have found themselves one of the best bargain signings in all of baseball heading into 2009.”

On Penny: “With his veteran presence, Penny could be invaluable to the Red Sox pitching staff. It would be hard to find another back-end starter as efficient as Penny if he can regain the form that saw him go 16-4 in 2007 with a 3.03 ERA (Finished 3rd in Cy Young voting, voted to All-Star team). This could be a tremendous value signing for the Sox in 2009.”

On Saito:  “If Saito can return to his All-Star form, he should be an essential part of what is already considered one of the best bullpens in all of baseball.”

The reason I chose this post as an example of the positive reception given to these signings is because of the use of three words that were perhaps overlooked by fans and writers everywhere. The three words? “If,” “may,” and “could.”

Those three words have proven to sum up the 2009 Red Sox perfectly. If Smoltz and Penny were anything close to what they used to be, the Sox could be leading the division rather than being six games behind the Yankees. If the rotation had more stability for the entire season, Boston may not have had to call upon Junichi Tazawa so soon. Catch my drift?

This isn’t to say that the Sox had an awful winter. The belief out there is that no matter what they did, Teixeira was Bronx-bound. Additionally, Baldelli has produced at or above the level the Sox could have expected from Crisp (and outlasted him, considering the former Boston centerfielder is out for the season with a labrum tear). However, while the one-year deals to the pitchers were seen as great moves for the future (they would eventually open rotation spots for Buchholz, Tazawa, and Michael Bowden), perhaps not enough emphasis was placed on how it would impact the ’09 club. What were considered “low-risk/high-reward” contracts have just proven to be low-reward. Too low for a division title.

Two of the three are already gone. Smoltz was designated for assignment on August 7 after eight starts, five losses, and an 8.32 ERA. Penny produced what a No. 5 starter should produce– seven wins and an ERA in the mid-to-upper-fours– through his first 19 starts, but since then, Penny has pitched like more of a No. 8ish starter. In his last five starts in a big and tall Red Sox uniform, Penny went 0-4 with a sky-high 9.11 ERA. When he asked for his release yesterday, it’s hard to think Sox GM Theo Epstein teared up.

Saito, on the other hand, has posted an 2.80 ERA that does nothing but reinforce the idea that looking at a reliever’s ERA as a barometer of effectiveness is like looking at Penny as a barometer of athletic builds. From watching the games you can tell that Terry Francona has little-to-no faith in the reliever. Here’s a stat that backs up the notion: In 45 appearances for Saito this season, he has entered only four tie games. Furthermore, he has been called into a one-run game just three times.

If that stat can prove how little he is trusted, let this one prove how ineffective he’s been. Saito– remember, the same guy who has a shiny 2.80 ERA– has allowed 67 percent of the runners he has inherited to score. Perhaps that can explain the lack of faith. Though Saito remains the only one of the three free agent pitchers signed to remain with the team, his performance to this point doesn’t justify a contract that was seen as wise at the time. Of course, the team won’t be hurt long-term by the fact that they gave $1.5 million to a reliever they’re unwilling to use in pressure situations, but it’s worth noting that the three seemingly smart signings have proven to be nothing but a very unsuccessful experiment.

If there is a bright side to the small contracts given out over the offseason, Alex Speier has found it. The lack of guaranteed money committed in the offseason made it possible for the Red Sox to add the salaries of Victor Martinez and Billy Wagner without thinking twice.

“And yet because of their offseason short-term deals that featured relatively modest guaranteed salaries, the Sox retained the financial flexibility to address their needs mid-year,” writes Speier. ”The incentive-laden structure of the deals to Smoltz and Penny also left the Sox in a position where, if the players did not perform up to expectations, the team’s financial commitments would be limited.”

As the team gears up for the final month-plus of the season, they do so having dealt with failed expirements and unanticipated contributions from both Buchholz and Tazawa. Long-term, last offseason won’t hurt the Red Sox. This season, however, is a different story.

Mark Teixeira may or may not wind up in Boston. As you wrap up your holiday shopping, wondering if he’ll wind up under the Red Sox Christmas tree, may we offer a one-stop shopping source on all things Tex.

Red Sox quiet on the Teixeira front.

Theo and Tito air it out for jetBlue as the official airline of the Red Sox.

Rob Bradford on how Tex almost began his career in Boston.

Alex Speier on whether both sides are posturing.

And Curt Schilling selling Teixeira on why Boston is the best place for him.

Then there’s the weather forecast for Sunday at Gillette. The Weather Channel simply calls it a mess.