Looking Back at One of The Best Rental Players of All Time

Not once, but twice!

When you think of Mark Teixeria, you most likely picture the star first baseman in the Yankees patented pinstripes. It is very easy to forget that Tex came up with the Texas Rangers and spent time with two other clubs before signing a massive contract in 2009 with New York. Before Teixeria signed that contract in the winter of 2009, he was part of two separate midseason trades as a "rental player." As the 2023 Trade Deadline approaches, let's look back at how these trades changed the MLB and Mark Texieria’s career.

Atlanta Braves

In 2007, the Texas Rangers were hovering just above .500 when the trade deadline approached. They made the decision to become "Sellers" and ship off their star 1B Teixeria to the Atlanta Braves for a number of prospects. Teixeria saw immediate success in Atlanta, as he batted .317 with a 161 OPS+ to go along with 17 HR in only 56 games with the Braves. Despite this, the Braves struggled to close out the 2007 season and ended up missing the playoffs. Now why is this trade noteworthy at all, you might ask? The Braves "went for it" at the deadline, and it didn’t pay off. It seems simple enough, right? Well, remember those prospects I mentioned before? Included in the deal for Teixeria were Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, and Neftali Feliz. All three of those players were major pieces that led the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. As for Teixeria’s tenure in Atlanta, he was traded at the deadline the following season.

Los Angeles Angels

After trading five prospects, two of whom became all-stars, the struggling Braves flipped Mark Teixeria the very next season, in 2008, to the Angels for two prospects. Again, Teixeria delivered in the back half of the season. In only 54 games with the Angels, Tex had a batting average of .358, an OPS+ of 181, and also hit 13 HR. After helping lead LA to a 100-win regular season, Tex continued to be the Angels’ best hitter in the playoffs. In a mere 4 games against Boston, Tex had a slash line of .467/.550/1.017. Despite the best efforts from their 1B, The Angels lost the ALDS to the Red Sox in 4 games. After his performance in LA, Tex became a prized free agent target in the winter of 2009. He was eventually signed by the Yankees and was a huge part of their 2009 World Series winning roster.

Mark Teixeria, a sometimes forgotten player from the 2000s, was a sneaky part of two massive trades in MLB history. The first helped the Rangers become a powerhouse in the American League, while the second helped Teixeria secure $180,000,000 from the Bronx Bombers.