The Nationals' front office packed up shop and departed Las Vegas today as MLB's winter meetings concluded. Jim Bowden and Co. did so without having signed any free agents or consummated any trades, but that doesn't mean these meetings were insignificant.

As we now know, the Nats made a formal offer to the top position player available on the market: Mark Teixeira. And that offer was substantial: somewhere in the neighborhood of $160 million over eight years.

This is a significant development for the Washington franchise. Whether Teixeira winds up playing first base on South Capitol Street or not, we now know this organization is willing to make a major investment in one of the game's best players.

But as I sat here all week watching the events unfold out in Vegas, I couldn't help but wonder something: Why are the Nationals willing to offer nine-figure contracts now when they weren't willing to do the same two years ago for a player equally as intriguing (if not moreso) than Teixeira?

Remember a guy named Alfonso Soriano? All he did during his one year in Washington was become the first player in major-league history to hit 40 homers, steal 40 bases and rack up 40 doubles in a single season. And in doing so, he captured the hearts of local baseball fans, who grew to love his dynamic performances on the field and his effervescent smile off the field.

Yet when it came time to offer Soriano a long-term contract to stay in D.C., the Nats balked at his lofty asking price. It's believed they offered Soriano something in the range of five years and $70 million. He wound up signing with the Cubs for eight years and $136 million.

Nats

officials scoffed at how much money the Cubs threw at Soriano, and how many years they committed to him. "Outrageous," was the word one high-ranking team official used at the time, and plenty of folks around baseball agreed. Soriano did not seem to be worth that many years and that much money, and for the Nationals to invest that much in one player seemed counterproductive. This organization has said all along it intends to build through the draft and through trades, not through big-name free agents.

So how is it that two years later, they are perfectly willing to offer at least as many years and even more money than Soriano got to Teixeira? Is Teixeira that much better as a ballplayer? Let's compare the two...

Both Soriano and Teixeira reached free agency after six full seasons in the majors. Here are their offensive numbers in several categories at that point in each player's career:

OK, Teixeira slightly beats out Soriano in batting average and slugging percentage. He drove in many more runs (mainly because Soriano hits leadoff). And he obviously reaches base at a much better clip (he draws far more walks). But Soriano did hit more homers, scored more runs and stole 197 more bases than Teixeira.

Teixeira does have the advantage in several other categories. He's a switch-hitter; Soriano only bats from the right side. He's a Gold Glove first baseman; Soriano has improved a lot as an outfielder but remains below-average. And Teixeira is two years younger (28) as he hits free agency than Soriano (30) was in 2006.

So it's fair to say that Mark Teixeira deserves a larger contract than Alfonso Soriano. But is the difference between the two so great as to convince the Nats that Teixeira is worth $160 million when they weren't willing to spend more than $70 million on Soriano?

Is this really just about baseball? Of course not. It's about public relations, and that's why the Nats are willing to fork over a bundle now when they weren't two years ago. After the 2006 season, the Nats were still in a rebuilding mode with little hope of winning right away. But they had a new ballpark opening in the near future, a new manager to get excited about and pretty good support from the local fan base.

Two years later? Things have changed dramatically. This team is coming off a disastrous inaugural season in its new ballpark, a 102-loss season. Interest among casual fans is declining. Die-hard fans are frustrated. TV ratings are horrible. A cloud of negativity hovers over the franchise.

In other words, the Nats feel the need to do something bold to try to win back public support. And making a real legitimate offer to the best free agent on the market fits that bill. Whether Teixeira chooses to sign with Washington or not -- and the hunch here is still that he'll wind up in Boston -- at least the Nats can say to their fans that they are trying. They aren't cheapskates. They're willing to spend a lot of money on a really good player.

It's kind of funny, though, when you think about it. Had they made a more concerted effort to re-sign Alfonso Soriano two years ago -- for less money, mind you, than Teixeira's going to wind up getting this winter -- would the Nats find themselves today making major roster decisions not for strictly baseball purposes but for PR purposes?

• 
• Comment