Torii Hunter weighs in on Teixeira, Sabathia

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LAS VEGAS -- Angels center fielder Torii Hunter, in town to announce the launch of an education initiative that will provide college scholarships to high school students, has been in regular contact with Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia in recent weeks, but he doesn’t have a feel for whether one or both will sign with the Angels.

Teixeira, who hit .358 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 54 games for the Angels after a July 29 trade from Atlanta, is seeking a 10-year, $200-million deal, and Angels General Manager Tony Reagins said today that the switch-hitting first baseman remains the team’s top priority.

‘I talked to him last week,’ Hunter said of Teixeira, who grew up in the Baltimore area and played college ball at Georgia Tech. ‘We didn’t really talk about what’s going on. I know he likes the East Coast, but being in Anaheim, he saw it, he felt it, he knows this organization is A-1. Right now, it’s a pretty tough decision for him.’

Teixeira is also being pursued by the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. Sabathia is being pursued by the Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants. The Vallejo native, who already has a six-year, $140-million offer from the Yankees, is said to favor the West Coast.

‘I’ve been talking with him on the phone a lot,’ Hunter said of Sabathia. ‘I definitely think he has the right to shop around, see what the best deal is for him and his family. He’s going to make the right decision. He doesn’t want to make a rash decision.’

Hunter was asked by New York writers whether he thought Sabathia, who played most of his career in Cleveland and spent the second half of 2008 in Milwaukee, wants to play in New York or whether he’d be comfortable playing in New York.

‘He can definitely handle New York,’ Hunter said. ‘If he doesn’t sign with the Yankees, it won’t be because of New York. It will be because he loves the West Coast.’

Hunter would love to see the Angels sign both Teixeira and Sabathia, ‘but that’s greedy,’ he said. ‘We could use either one of them. I hope we don’t miss out.’

-- Mike DiGiovanna